Archives: Podcasts

In-Conversation // Sophal Ear: Escaping the Khmer Rouge

Sophal Ear escaped the Khmer Rouge due to his mother’s unflinching determination and moved to the US at the age of ten. He has overcome both genocide and poverty to …

In-Conversation: Kate Cole-Adams: Anesthesia

Anaesthesia is a modern miracle. But how much do we really know about what happens to us on the operating table? Is pain still pain if we are not awake …

In-Conversation // Pierre Coffin: Movies and Minions

Did that Minion just say terima kasih? French-Indonesian animated film director and voice actor Pierre Coffin is the man behind the little yellow characters from the Despicable Me franchise, emblazoned …

In-Conversation // Simon Armitage: From Punk to Poet

“I’ve always tried to think of poetry as an active ingredient in the language…” From a life-long passion for rock music to his post as Oxford Professor of Poetry, poet, …

In-Conversation // Fuchsia Dunlop: Land of Plenty

Described by the Observer Food Monthly as “a happy mix of scholarly and gluttonous”, Fuchsia Dunlop’s stories and recipes take us deep into the culinary heart of China. Join a …

In-Conversation // Jung Chang: Writing Modern China

With Wild Swans, Jung Chang illuminated the lives of three generations of women in China. Former rocket factory worker Lijia Zhang’s Lotus, inspired by her grandmother’s experiences, tells the story …

In-Conversation // Sutardji Calzoum Bachri: The Chanting Poet

Iconic literary figure Sutardji once turned Indonesia’s time-worn poetry traditions upside down after proclaiming the liberation of words from their shackles of socially-enforced meanings. In an age of Twitwars and …

In-Conversation // Robert Dessaix: The Pleasures of Leisure

“Nowadays everyone’s got to appear to be doing something,” notes Robert Dessaix. We’re working longer hours, consuming more than ever, and treat being busy as a status symbol. In a …

In-Conversation // Michael Vatikiotis: Blood & Silk

Having studied, worked and traveled in Southeast Asia as a journalist and peace mediator for more than three decades, Michael Vatikiotis peers beyond brand new shopping malls and shiny glass …

In-Conversation // Héctor Abad: First Person

Héctor Abad’s depictions of contemporary Colombian society have won readers around the world. In Oblivion, the memoir of his father’s life and murder by Colombian paramilitaries, personal events are the …

In-Conversation // Ian Rankin: A Life of Crime

He’s the wit and wickedness behind the beloved Inspector Rebus and Detective Malcolm Fox, read in 22 languages around the world. Celebrating 30 years of Rebus, Ian Rankin brought a …

In Conversation // Marina Mahathir: Telling it Straight

A tireless advocate for the rights of women and minorities in her home of Malaysia, Marina Mahathir is admired (and occasionally admonished) for telling it straight. She joins Michael Vatikiotis, …

In-Conversation // Nh. Dini: A Living Literary Legend

A living legend of Indonesian literature, Nh. Dini will reveal the flame that sustained her prolific writing career spanning more than five decades. Listen in as she narrates her colorful …

In-Conversation // Madeleine Thien: Do Not Say We Have Nothing

Spanning decades and diasporas, Madeleine Thien’s stories “remind us what fiction can do” (New Statesman). She takes the UWRF stage to discuss the Booker-shortlisted Do Not Say We Have Nothing, …

Evolving Indonesia // Paradise Revisited

From busloads of tourists and bustling beaches, to Balinese Hinduism and a global voice, Bali is a place that knows how to adapt. Join this high-spirited session for a look …

Evolving Indonesia // Mystical Bali

For nearly 1,000 years, Balinese Hinduism – a unique blend of animism, ancestral worship, and Indian philosophies – has given the island splendid rituals and inter-faith harmony. What makes Balinese …

Evolving Indonesia // Island Lore

Rich with local lore, legendary beasts and mythical monsters, listen in as writers from the far corners of the Indonesian archipelago explore the culture of their regions and its impact …

Evolving Indonesia // Mother Tongue

Overwhelmed by English and dominated by Bahasa, many say the Balinese language has reached the brink of extinction. Listen in as these speakers argue the case for Balinese, and why …

Tat Tvam Asi // Mother Nature

Should we extend our compassion to all beings? Join extraodinary activists and authors for a conversation on compassion for the natural world, the next moves in sustainability, and how to …

Evolving Indonesia // Reading the Archipelago

Last year, we explored the 17,000 islands of imagination. Set sail again beyond Jakarta and Bali with these translators and curators to hear how the Festival’s Emerging Writers Program has …