Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2023
October 18 - October 22
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (often called the Ubud Writers Festival), one of the best literary festivals in the world, is held in the central Bali town of Ubud in October and will celebrate what has become Southeast Asia’s leading festival of words and ideas.
A yearly pilgrimage for word lovers worldwide, the Ubud Writers Festival transcends cultural and physical borders, inviting both artists and audiences to enjoy and participate in public discussions, intimate literary lunches, live performances and hands-on workshops where budding writers can learn new skills and get feedback from experts.
For more on this town in Central Bali, check out our Things to Do in Ubud: a Town Hiding in Plain Sight.
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival has been named by the UK newspaper The Telegraph as one of this year’s five best literary events. The theme of this year’s edition is Uniting Humanity.
Ubud Writers Festival 2023 Lineup
2023 marks the 20th anniversary of the festival. The lineup of the Anniversary Festival has yet to be announced, but it will include a look back at the 20 years of the festival.
The 2022 festival included: Anuradha Roy; Laura Jean McKay; Audrey Magee; Joko Pinurbo; Rara Sekar; Tim Baker; Sequoia Nagamatsu; Felix K Nesi; Sami Shah; Saras Dewi Putri and Boy Candra.
A full list of speakers will be found here.
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival origins
Brainchild of Australian-born Janet DeNeefe, the Ubud Writers Festival grew out of a healing project in response to the 2002 Bali bombings. Wanting the world to see that Bali could move on after the bombings, DeNeefe set off to develop the festival which, after starting small in 2004, has now evolved into one of the world’s most celebrated literary and artistic events.
Ubud Writers Festival: Emerging Writers
Emerging Indonesian writers will also be presented in an anthology offering visitors a unique insight into Indonesian language, culture, history and mythology.
Accommodation in Ubud and Flights
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Further information on the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2023
For details of ticket prices and purchases, venue location, how to get there and other festival details, visit the website.
Cover photo credit: Agung Abi
