First round of UWRF authors announced as early bird tickets go on sale

After attracting over 26,000 literature-lovers in 2014, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) is set to descend on Bali’s cultural capital once again from 28 October – 1 November, in a global melting pot of big ideas and extraordinary stories.

Early Bird Tickets to Southeast Asia’s largest and most celebrated literary event are now on sale, along with the Festival’s first release of writers, thinkers, artists, advocates and social commentators from across Indonesia and the globe.

Heading the International line-up is Pakistani author of runaway hit How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia Mohsin Hamid, bestselling Chinese-American memoirist Anchee Min, short-story author of The Boat Nam Le, The Rosie Project’s Graeme Simison, and creators of worldwide travel institution, The Lonely Planet Guides, Tony and Maureen Wheeler.

Spanning five days of intimate panel discussions, workshops, literary lunches, book launches, poetry slams, film screenings and more, the program will also feature debut novelist of The Fishermen Chigozie Obioma, 2015 Stella Prize-winner Emily Bitto, North Korea defector and TED Talk sensation Hyeonseo Lee, Palestinian scholar Mazin Qumsiyeh and winner of the 2015 Miles Franklin Award, Sofie Laguna.

Exploring the theme 17,000 Islands of Imagination, in 2015 UWRF will once again showcase the incredible diversity of Indonesian talent, including leading literary figure Putu Oka Sukanta, controversial award-winning filmmaker Nia Dinata, short-story writer and political journalist Seno Gumira Ajidarma, and winner of the 2013 Southeast Asian Writers Award Linda Christanty.

The Festival is also pleased to welcome social advocate Andreas Harsono, celebrated Indonesian novelist Eka Kurniawan, humanitarian and East Timor rights campaigner Galuh Wandita and Founder of the ASEAN Literary Festival, Okky Madasari.

Founder & Director of the UWRF, Janet DeNeefe, said that now in its 12th year, the not-for-profit Festival is becoming more important to the literary, artistic and cultural landscape than ever before.

“Indonesia is not only one of the world’s most rapidly evolving nations, but also home to one of the largest and most diverse populations in the world,” she said. “Despite the fact that we are increasingly in the global spotlight, we remain in many ways – as expressed so eloquently by Elizabeth Pisani at last year’s UWRF – the ‘invisible nation.’”

“Each year, we host Ubud Writers & Readers Festival as a platform to bring together the world’s leading thinkers and doers, bridging geographical and social divides to discuss the topical issues that affect us all.”

The full program line-up for the UWRF will be released on 19th August.