Iroy Mahyuni is an independent woman from Batu Ampar, Indragiri Hilir, Riau. Since late 2024, she has worked as a laborer for a coal mining contractor. In addition to her job, Iroy writes and independently publishes books through Pustaka Paoh Nilo, a small press she founded herself. She also opened a community reading house in her hometown—the first space to bring literacy beyond formal education. A former contributor to marsinah.id, she is now pursuing a master’s degree in Indonesian Language Education to further strengthen her literacy work. For Iroy, living and writing as a woman in a patriarchal world is the courage she continues to nurture.