The pine grove at Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas (GIK) offered an unusual sight on Friday (July 17) afternoon. Dozens of young people sat quietly on mats and shawls spread across the ground, absorbed in books beneath the shade of towering pine trees. While such scenes are more commonly associated with libraries, this time reading unfolded in the calm of the outdoors.
The gathering was part of Hening (Healing Through Nature and Reading), a silent reading event organized by GIK UGM in collaboration with dibukumoerah.id, @bacabarengjogja, and brilliantbookscorner. In addition to reading in an open-air setting, participants joined a book-sharing session and a guided meditation designed to encourage relaxation and mindfulness.
The initiative reflects a growing movement to foster a stronger reading culture through accessible community activities. One participant, Irhamna from Bandung, said she had been impressed by Yogyakarta’s vibrant literacy culture since moving to the city to continue her studies. For her, the wide variety of literacy events regularly held across Yogyakarta reinforces its long-standing reputation as Indonesia’s Student City.
“It’s no surprise that Yogyakarta is known as the Student City. Events like this are popular and easy to find,” she said.
Although it was her first time joining an outdoor communal reading session, Irhamna described the experience as both refreshing and meaningful. She believes activities like Hening help people see reading not as an obligation but as an enjoyable habit.
“You cannot force people to read because the motivation has to come from within. Hopefully, when people see activities like this in public spaces, they will become more aware that reading is an important habit,” she said.
GIK UGM Marketing Communication Officer Cham Husein said they created the event to make better use of Pine Forest A, the open green space located in the southernmost part of the GIK complex. Inspired by the growing number of literacy communities in Yogyakarta organizing silent reading activities, GIK sought to provide another welcoming venue for such initiatives.
“We have seen many communities in Yogyakarta organizing silent reading events to strengthen literacy. Therefore, we wanted to provide a space for those activities through Hening at the GIK UGM Pine Forest,” Husein said.
Beyond promoting reading, he added, the program also creates opportunities for readers to connect. The organizers included a guided meditation session to help participants unwind after busy workdays.
“We plan to hold this event every month, either on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. We hope Hening will become a space where people can unwind after their busy routines,” he said.
Husein noted that the inaugural event would also serve as an opportunity to gather feedback for future editions. Participants are encouraged to share ideas for improving the program or adding complementary activities such as workshops, discussions, and other literacy initiatives.
“We are open to all suggestions from participants regarding future editions of the event. We hope Hening will continue to grow into an engaging space for the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, Aditya Hernawan, founder of the @bacabarengjogja community, hopes the collaboration will encourage more people to develop a reading habit. He explained that Hening was intentionally designed to be relaxed and inclusive, allowing participants to read whatever interests them, regardless of genre or format.
“This event is a gateway to starting a new habit, which is reading. That’s why I told participants from the beginning that they were free to read anything, from newspapers and comics to books of any kind. The important thing is to start reading,” said Hernawan, who is commonly known as Adit.
He added that the event particularly welcomes people who are just beginning to read regularly. Once participants have established the habit, they are encouraged to join other literacy communities that offer reading circles and more in-depth discussions.
“Once you’ve built the habit of reading and want to take part in more serious discussions, feel free to join other literacy communities,” he said.
Author: Agito Sitepu
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post Editor: Zabrina Kumara
Photo: Salwa