Bonnibel Rambatan

Bonnibel Rambatan plays with fire to dissent and liberate through words and images. They started their career as a philosophy blogger and independent filmmaker before moving on to more traditional publishing, first as an acquiring editor and later a development editor for publishers in Jakarta in the 2010s. From 2018 to 2020, they spearheaded a rights management startup for diverse voices and progressive stories, working with artists and writers for comics and webtoons. They have spoken at various venues, including Ubud Writers and Readers Festival, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, and Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre. They run a newly launched YouTube channel (2026), Writer Bonnibel.

Throughout their career, Bonnibel has always navigated between two worlds: arts & literature and the activism/journalism/research space, including historical and sociological research, critical theory, and philosophy. With Jacob Johanssen, they co-authored Event Horizon: Sexuality, Politics, Online Culture, and the Limits of Capitalism, published by Zer0 Books in 2022. In 2022-2024, they hosted the Southeast Asia Dispatches podcast, interviewing activists and thought leaders across the region.

Bonni is the former Editorial Manager, Head of Product, and Co-Executive Manager at New Naratif, a media and community organisation for democracy in Southeast Asia. In 2024, they co-founded and currently serve as Director of Arts and Creative Expression for Rainbow Panda, an arts-based organisation advocating for the well-being of LGBTQ+ children and their caretakers in Asia. They are also a proud member of the transnational activist collective Milk Tea Alliance.

Bonnibel strives to bring their strengths to uplift marginalised voices in their home region of Southeast Asia, both in their writings and advocacy work alike. They are currently based in Jakarta, Indonesia, and are always on the hunt for opportunities for collaboration.