A voracious reader, in middle school he read works by Indonesian authors such as Hamka, HB Jassin, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer; he graduated in 1959.

[1] while attending high school in Surakarta, he read works of world literature by Charles Dickens and Anton Chekov.

[1] During his college days at Gadjah Mada University, he founded the Lembaga Kebudayaan Seniman Islam (Islamic Artists Cultural Institution) and Studi Grup Mantika (together with Ikranagara, Arifin C. Noer, Dawam Rahardjo, Chaerul Umam, Amri Yahya, Sju'bah Asa and Abdul Hadi W.

[5] In 1964, he published his first novel, Kereta Api yang Berangkat di Pagi Hari (The Train that Leaves Early in the Morning); it was picked up as a serial by the newspaper Djihad in 1966.

[4] On his return to Indonesia in 1980, he founded the Centre for Policy Research and Study with Amien Rais and Chairil Anwar.

[2] According to the foreword of his 1999 short story collection Hampir Sebuah Subversi (Almost a Subversion), Kuntowijoyo wrote without previous planning.

[3] When he was a student of literature faculty of UGM, he was awarded by Badan Pembina Teater Nasional Indonesia for Rumput-Rumput Danau Bento (1968) and by Sastra magazine for Dilarang Mencintai Bunga-Bunga (1968).