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‘Lupus’ writer Hilman Hariwijaya dies aged 57
The writer known for penning '80s teen hit Lupus passed away at around 8 a.m. on March 9, 2022.
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Double icon: Hilman Hariwijaya, author of '80s trend-setting teenage hit novel 'Lupus', gestures from a hospital bed behind Spider-Man dolls in a photo uploaded to his Instagram page on Dec. 23, 2021. (Instagram/@thehilmanriwijaya) (Instagram/Courtesy of Hilman Hariwijaya)
H
ilman Hariwijaya, best known for '80s hit novel Lupus, passed away on Wednesday at around 8 a.m. He was 57 years old. The cause of his death has not been publicized.
The news was broken on social media by film producer Agung Saputra. "Innalilahi wainnailaihi roji’un@thehilmanriwijaya, may your deeds be accepted by Allah SWT," Agung posted to Instagram Story on March 9, leading with the Islamic phrase meaning “We belong to God and to God we shall return”.
Hilman’s last activity on his Instagram page was on Dec. 27, 2021, when he uploaded a photo of himself lying in a hospital bed with his family at his side.
HIs followers have posted messages of condolence on what turned out to be his final post.
“Thank you for filling our teenage days with laughter, Mas (mister). Rest well,” wrote user @wisben_wae in the comments section.
“Farewell, Mas @thehilmanriwijaya. Rest in peace,” actor Chicco Jerikho posted.
Born on Aug. 25, 1964, Hilman was best known for the hit short story “Lupus” about the life of a gum-chewing senior high schooler, his family and friends, which was published in Hai magazine in December 1986. He later expanded it into a novel that quickly became a beloved literary mainstay, spawning numerous sequels and was adapted to the big screen.
Hilman was one of the famed trio of Lupus authors alongside Gusur Adhikarya and Boim Lebon. Gusur died on June 18, 2021, aged 59.
The novelist was also a prominent screenwriter, credited for writing many scripts for 2000s films such as Dealova, The Wall, Suka Sama Suka (Mutual feelings) and Rasa (Feel).
He also wrote for some of Indonesia’s most popular serial television soaps, including seasons 2-3 of Cinta Fitri (Fitri’s love) and Dari Jendela SMP (From the window of junior high school), adapted from the original novel of the same name by Mira W.
Hilman’s final writing credit is for TV series Love Story the Series, which premiered on Jan. 12, 2021.
