The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was first conceived by Festival Director Janet DeNeefe in response to the 2003 Bali bombings. The major project annual project of not-for-profit foundation Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati, the Festival aims to bring Indonesian and international writers together on a world’s stage. From modest beginnings, it has since grown to be one of Southeast Asia’s largest literary events, drawing over 26,000 people in 2014 and 30,620 in 2015.
The inaugural Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was held from 11 – 17 October. The theme of the Festival was ‘Through Darkness to Light’, and was held across 27 venues in Ubud. Notable contributors to the 67-strong program included:
– Tony Wheeler
– Nury Vittachi
– Michael Vatikiotis
– Laksmi Pamuntjak
– Goenawan Mohamad
The second Ubud Writers & Readers Festival took place from 8 – 11 October, focusing on the theme ‘Between Worlds’. The line-up spanned 107 writers from across Indonesia and the world, including:
– Amitav Ghosh
– Xanana Gusmao
– Michael Ondaatje
– Dewi Lestari
– Shaun Tan
In 2006, the third Ubud Writers & Readers Festival ran from 28 September to 3 October, celebrating the theme of ‘Place, Time, Identity’. It took place across 27 venues in Ubud and featured 96 authors. Some of the headlining contributors were:
– Madhur Jaffrey
– William Dalyrmple
– Christopher Kremmer
– Anita Desai
– Sapardi Djoko Damono
The 2007 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was held from 25 – 30 September. It spanned 32 venues in Ubud and featured 92 writers, including:
– Richard Flanagan
– Adib Kahn
– Kiran Desai
– Kathy Reichs
– Peter Goldsworthy
In 2008, the fifth UWRF ran from 14 – 19 October. It explored the theme ‘God Humanity Nature’, running in 43 venues across Ubud. The line-up featured 94 authors, including:
– Vikram Seth
– Andrea Hirata
– John Berendt
– Melina Marchetta
The sixth Ubud Writers & Readers Festival took place from 7 – 11 October, focusing on the theme ‘Compassion & Solidarity’. It spanned 46 venues and included 106 writers in the program, a new milestone. Key contributors included:
– Fatima Bhutto
– Sonya Hartnett
– Lloyd Jones
– Vikas Swarup
– Wole Soyinka
The 2010 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival honoured the theme ‘Harmony in Diversity’. It ran from 6 – 10 October across 50 venues, featuring over 146 writers. Headlining names included:
– Louis de Bernières
– Tash Aw
– Anne Enright
– Thomas Keneally
– Christos Tsiolkas
From 5 – 9 October, the eighth UWRF celebrated the theme of ‘Cultivate the Land Within’. It spanned 57 venues and 120 literary contributors, including:
– Alex Miller
– Alexander McCall Smith
– Andrea Hirata
– DBC Pierre
– Junot Diaz
– Paul Kelly
The 2012 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival ran from 3-7 October. Exploring the theme ‘This Earth of Mankind’, the Festival took place across 52 venues and showcased 135 writers, including:
– Anna Funder
– Jeffrey Eugenides
– John Pilger
– Jose Ramos-Horta
– Nick Cave
The 10th anniversary of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival took place from 12-15 October, exploring the theme of ‘Through Darkness to Light’. Its largest year yet, the line-up featured 200 writers, including:
– Goenawan Mohamad
– Garin Nugroho
– Ayu Utami
– Dewi Lestari
– Laksmi Pamuntjak
– Ahmad Fuadi
– Sebastian Faulks
– Lionel Shriver
– Tony Wheeler
– Michael Leunig
– Nury Vittachi
– Lydia Cacho
– Amish Tripathi
– Kim Scott
– Richard Flanagan
– Clare Bowditch
– David Vann
In 2014, the UWRF returned for its 11th year from October 1 – 5. Featuring over 165 writers from more than 25 countries, the program paid tribute to Saraswati, the Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge. Notable literary contributors included:
– Amitav Ghosh
– Colin Thubron
– Bondan Winarno
– Val McDermid
– Eimear McBride
– Cyrus Mistry
– Mem Fox
– Robin Davidson
– Goenawan Mohamad
– Azyumardi Azra
The 2015 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival took place 28 October – 1 November and welcomed more than 165 writers, artists and thinkers to celebrate the theme 17,000 Islands of Imagination – a theme chosen by the Frankfurt Book Fair for the Guest of Honour Nation, Indonesia. UWRF