Hikmat Gumelar was born on November 9, 1964, in Karangsambung, Majalengka. He studied at the Faculty of Literature, Padjadjaran University (UNPAD), where he was actively involved in the university’s Gelanggang Seni Sastra, Teater, & Film (GSSTF), participating as an actor, playwright, and theater director. After working for several media outlets, he co-founded the Institut Nalar Jatinangor, a non-profit organization established with fellow writers and lecturers from UNPAD, dedicated to promoting a culture of equality and diversity through literacy. Since May 2025, he has served as the Director of Research and Development (Litbang) at Mangle, a Sundanese-language magazine first published in November 1957. Hikmat’s poems, short stories, and essays have appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, and anthologies. His poetry collection Dari Penjaga Bumi ke Penyimpan Rahasia (From the Guardian of the Earth to the Keeper of Secrets) was published in 2023. In 2024, his collection Dari Reruntuhan Mawar ke Cerita Ingatan (From the Ruins of Roses to the Stories of Memory) received the Palestine World Prize for Literature, which he accepted in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2022, one of his essays was selected as the Best Essay, earning him the Sastramedia Jagat Milenial Award.
