Dr. Drs. I Ketut Suardana, M.Fil.H, is the Co-Founder of the non-profit organization Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati. He works closely with the Festival Director to develop and deliver our strategy in line with the vision of the foundation.

Melbourne-born Janet DeNeefe is the visionary Founder and Director of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. Crafted in the wake of the 2002 Bali Bombings, she created the festival as a beacon of hope, aimed at rebuilding both the community spirit and economy after this tragic event. Since its inception in 2004, the festival's triumphant launch marked the beginning of a remarkable journey. Today, it stands as one of the world’s premier festivals, that infuses vitality into Indonesia's literary arena. DeNeefe penned the books, Fragrant Rice, To Stir with Love, and Bali: Food of MyIsland Home. Together with her husband Ketut, she is the driving force behind Ubud's renowned establishments: Casa Luna, Indus Restaurant, Casa Luna Cooking School, and Honeymoon Guesthouse and Bakery. With more than three decades in Bali, DeNeefe has made a mark on the rich tapestry of the island's cultural landscape.

Laksmi DeNeefe Suardana is Bali’s first Puteri Indonesia and Miss Universe Indonesia 2022. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in the Business of Fashion from Polimoda, Italy – one of the fashion capitals of the world. While her advocacy and life mission are to promote education, literacy, women's empowerment, and sustainability, she is also passionate about Indonesia’s cultural diversity and, of course, cuisine, its maritime spice history, and healing ingredients. Being away from home for eight years, she often cooked her favorite Indonesian dishes and experimented with local ingredients. Food, fashion, wellness, stories, culture, and philanthropy are some of the things bringing her the most joy.

Dwi Ermayanthi (Erma) plays a pivotal role in the festival, overseeing all aspects and ensuring the successful attainment of our key objectives while upholding the core values that define our event. With her extensive experience as a project manager in the cultural and art industry, Erma brings over a decade of expertise in working on various festivals in Ubud.

Hannah Curtis leads the international program and works closely with the national program team to develop and deliver a comprehensive four-day festival program. She has extensive experience working for renowned Australian cultural institutions, including The Art Gallery of NSW, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the popular Melbourne Art Book Fair. Hannah holds a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Studies and a Postgraduate degree in Fine Art, Art History, and Arts Management.

In his role, Gustra Adnyana's active involvement underscores his commitment to fostering artistic endeavors and Indonesian cultural initiatives. His responsibilities also include building networks and bridges between international and local communities to ensure continuous connectivity. Gustra has extensively collaborated with Indonesian writers, artists, and communities throughout Indonesia, with a particular focus on Bali. He is notably dynamic in literary and visual arts, dedicating his free time to supporting emerging artists, writers, and creative individuals in organizing art events.

Kadek Dharmayeni Putri Widiarta (Putri) is a Program Coordinator and supports the development of the programmes of the festival. She assists the International Program Manager and works closely with the national programme across teams and stakeholders. Experienced in project management, event creation, public relations activities, and community engagement, she also participates in education organizations to further her growth.

Fity Rahman supports the program team in planning and execution, particularly for Indonesian programs. She works closely with the programming team to ensure the smooth delivery of sessions and events. Her role bridges logistical needs and creative vision, contributing to the dynamic, collaborative energy that brings the festivals to life. With experience in artist liaison, event planning, and partnership coordination, Fity thrives on creating meaningful connections between talents, audiences, and institutions.

Nicola Walpen leads the Marketing & Communications team, overseeing integrated festival campaigns and creating engaging content and materials to drive year-round attendance and audience engagement. He has prior experience in communication roles for Indonesian conservation non-profit organizations and the city government of Zurich. Nicola holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Communications from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.

Zunifah (Uniph) is the Media Relations Coordinator, bridging the festival with the world through press engagement. She has worked extensively in the arts and culture sector, managing programs and community-driven initiatives. She loves walking, uncovering hidden stories, and building connections. A Philosophy graduate, Uniph is always curious about how spaces, people, and ideas intertwine—whether through a festival, a walk, or a spontaneous conversation over coffee.

Patricia Emanuelle (Nuelle) supports digital marketing activities for the Festival, promoting the festival brand by creating engaging content on multiple digital and social media platforms. She also works to engage people with both festivals using various activation strategies, collaborating with other departments to develop fresh, creative angles. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Design, with a major in Branding Design. Currently residing in Ubud, Emanuelle enjoys her time outside of work pursuing various art and literature-related interests.

Missy Natalia Saputra (Missy) is a Partnership Coordinator for the Festival. With a strong background in Business-to-Business (B2B) and marketing communication, she plays a key role in shaping local and international B2B and Business-to-Government collaborations for the Festival. Passionate about culinary culture and cross-cultural exchange, Missy is dedicated to curating meaningful connections between global creatives and Southeast Asia’s vibrant foodie and literature communities.

Anik Kristina Dewi (Anik) is proud to contribute as the Partnership Coordinator for the Festival. With a background in International Relations, she is deeply committed to community development and meaningful cross-cultural engagement. In her role, Anik helps cultivate purposeful collaborations that strengthen the festival’s vision of celebrating connection through food, literature, and the arts. Guided by empathy and curiosity, she also dedicates her time to writing, exploring politics, social, and development issues through reflective essays and poetry.

Rain Siahaan leads the partnerships team for the festival. She brings a decade of combined professional experience with a global management consulting firm, a multilateral organization, non-profit board management, and technology companies across Southeast Asia. Her focus area includes structuring and managing a range of investments and partnerships for the public, private, and social sectors. Rain holds a BA degree in International Relations from Universitas Indonesia.

Made Dwinanda Sidhi (Dede) serves as the stall holder coordinator for the Ubud Food Festival and deals directly with entrepreneurs, ranging from food products and restaurants to local crafters and technology businesses. Coming from a background in event management and creativity, he has been involved in large event projects since 2016. His primary task is curating all the products presented at the festival.

I Made Suka Merta (Abut) leads the Production and Operations team, responsible for delivering the physical elements of the Festival, including all panels and events. He works closely with the Marketing & Communications teams to bring creative ideas to life and ensure they are executed safely and sustainably. Additionally, he oversees security and safety, collaborating with suppliers to equip all events with the latest technology and technical equipment.

Ni Wayan Widiatmini (Widi) is responsible for ensuring efficient management of income and expenditure through processing, budgeting, and forecasting. Her responsibilities encompass processing invoices, handling expenses and salaries, as well as generating invoices for earned income. She also establishes and maintains control measures to guarantee the accuracy of the Festival's records.

Eka Septiarti is responsible for directly supervising and coordinating the activities of clerical and administrative support staff. She prepares and manages reports, manuals, correspondence, and other documents using a database or word processing software. She also plans and organizes travel by booking flight tickets for the speakers. Meeting new speakers and volunteers is her favorite part of these festivals, as she can learn a lot from them.

Inten Poniari works as an Administrative and Ticketing Officer for the Festival. She is responsible for managing online ticket sales and purchases, while overseeing the Box Office during the festival.

Wayan Nick Ariawan (Nick) serves as the Office Assistant, assisting with the setup and teardown of product booths and logistical arrangements both before and after the festival. He also helps coordinate transportation, storage, and distribution of festival equipment, materials, and merchandise.

Ruth Onduko serves as the Volunteer Coordinator at the Festival. With her professional background as a Community Manager and Independent Art Manager, Ruth draws upon her wealth of experience to actively contribute to the Festival's mission of celebrating literature and culture. Her aim is to collaborate with hundreds of dedicated fellow volunteers to help make the festival a vibrant and enriching cultural experience.