by Julia Winterflood
In Bali at the end of October but don’t quite have the cash to splash on a Festival pass? Then you’re in luck, as a sizeable section of the UWRF program comes with zero price tag – a staggering 72 events to be exact.
The UWRF will be lighting up venues across Ubud with free films, poetry slams, live music, workshops, exhibitions, and book launches, so keep your eyes peeled for the Festival flags, and get ready to dive in. With no cost of entry why hesitate to see what the magic is all about?
The Poetry Slam is always one of the highlights of UWRF, with Betelnut buzzing with hundreds of hungry slam fans, cheering on the brave competitors from Indonesia and abroad. This year, the Festival has added a special second slam, especially for female poets to take the mic to celebrate strength and sisterhood. Reckon you should be among them? Then step on up! Click to find out more.
27 October, 18:00-20:30, Betelnut, Jl. Raya Ubud.
Indonesia’s burgeoning film industry features some hot up-and-comers, including Wregas Bhanuteja who – at just 23 – received the Leica Cine Discovery Prize for Short Film at Cannes. Wregas’ award winning Prenjak (In the Year of Monkey) will be screened as part of a showcase of his short films in Betelnut’s superb indie cinema, followed by a Q&A with the maverick filmmaker himself. Click to find out more.
30 October, 14:00-15:30, Betelnut, Jl. Raya Ubud
Continuing the Festival’s thrilling new additions to its array of after dark delights, Poetronica is a lyrical, multi-layered performance where writers and musicians will interact to create a one-of-a-kind poetry-meets-electronica experience. Featuring Indonesian poets Ni Made Purnama Sari and Warih Wisatsana, Indian author/poet Jeet Thayil, and Canadian poet/performer/producer Tanya Evenson, alongside Balinese electronic outfit Dromme and the social justice artists of Kalawai Rap Crew from the troubled Indonesian province of Maluku, Poetronica is an UWRF exclusive you won’t want to miss. Click to find out more.
27 October, 21:00-23:00, Taman Baca, Jl. Raya Sanggingan
Indonesian cuisine is as diverse as the 17,000 islands that make up the archipelago, while its spice trade history reads like mythology. Some of the secrets behind Indonesian home cooking are lovingly demystified in Rima Sjoekri’s Senirasa: A Cooking Companion for Indonesian Recipes. Come and celebrate the launch of this sumptuous new book with her and discover some spicy kitchen tricks to make your home cooking shine. Click to find out more.
28 October, 17:00-18:30, Rondji Restaurant, Jl. Raya Campuhan
‘Ubuntu’ is a word from South Africa that translates as ‘I am because we are’. Its meaning was revealed to author Heather Ellis while she was motorcycling solo across the massive African continent. If you’re relishing the rush of zipping past rice fields on a scooter and are ravenous for more road adventures, join Heather as she regales us with tales of her life-changing odyssey on wheels. Click to find out more.
28 October, 19:45-20:45, Bar Luna @ Casa Luna, Jl. Raya Ubud
The 2016 UWRF program is packed with exciting new additions, and if you’re on the hunt for something special to bring home to dear ones this is a new event to get amped about. Discover local artists, indie designers, craftspeople, musicians and more in the buzzing evening atmosphere of Taman Baca. Tantalising treats and daring DIY designs await. Want to join in? Applications open soon. Click to find out more.
29 October, 18:00-21:00, Taman Baca, Jl. Raya Sanggingan
Are you in the water on the island’s west all day long then, chilling beach-side in the arvo? We’ve got your early eve sorted, with two surfers who wield a pen as deftly as they do a board. Tim Baker and Madelaine Dickie’s works span journalism, biography, travel, and fiction. Join them for a chat exploring the people, places, and stories that have inspired them to write the waves. Click to find out more.
27 October, 18:00-19:00, Dojo Bali, Jl. Batu Batu Mejan No. 88, Canggu
While you’re meandering around Taman Baca, or munching on something at the Makers Market, make sure you soak up the global sounds of musicians and collaborators Tenzin Cheogyal and Jesse Paris Smith. Tibetan-Australian Tenzin is a star of the folk and world music festival circuit in Australia and internationally, while American composer and instrumentalist, activist, and event producer Jesse Paris Smith is a multi-skilled, multi-talented global performer. Together they’ll create a truly transcendent soundscape. Click to find out more.
29 October, 17:30-19:00, Taman Baca, Jl. Raya Sanggingan
American novelist and critic Jamie James has been based in Indonesia since 1999. He believes there are tourists, travellers and “a third species, those who roam the world in search of the home they never had in the place that made them”. Are you one of them? The Glamour of Strangeness is James’ recently published global study of expatriate artists and writers. Start your evening with what will be a particularly pertinent conversation to Bali. Click to find out more.
29 October, 18:30-19:30, Bar Luna @ Casa Luna, Jl. Raya Ubud
Got the little ‘uns in tow? Looking for a fun and free holiday activity? This workshop for five-to-ten year olds is one you’ll wish you could join yourself! Leading Malaysian paper engineer and teacher, Cikgu Rizal, will teach kids how to create a simple pop-up book, and also share stories and his collection of pop-up books. This is a free event, but capacity is limited. Click to find out more, and register your attendance online.
27 October, 10:00-12:00, Campuhan College, Jl. Raya Ubud
We’re excited to introduce Laksmi DeNeefe Suardana as the official Ambassador of Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati, the driving force behind the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and the Ubud Food …
In the lead-up to this year’s Festival, our new Head of International Programming, Hannah Curtis, sat down with us to talk about her new position, the aspirations for the future …
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