Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival The Festival returns from 21 to 25 October 2026! Mark your calendars and join one of the most celebrated literary festivals in the world.
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From humble beginnings in 2004, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has evolved into one of the world’s most celebrated literary and artistic events – an annual pilgrimage for lovers of literature and conversation. Bringing together some of the world’s most powerful voices in a melting pot of artists, authors, thinkers and performers, the Festival is a platform for meaningful exchange and cross-cu

ltural dialogue. A place where artists and audiences alike can discuss shared inspirations, ideas and concerns, the Festival transcends cultural and geographical borders to create a truly global community. Across five days, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival delivers an eclectic program of events – from fiery conversations to intimate literary lunches; gripping live performances to hands-on workshops.

Our friends at Ubud Open Studios are back for their fifth year. Art lovers gain exclusive access to over 60 artists’ pri...
04/06/2026

Our friends at Ubud Open Studios are back for their fifth year. Art lovers gain exclusive access to over 60 artists’ private studios across Bali’s cultural capital.

The fifth annual Ubud Open Studios will welcome visitors into the private creative spaces of more than 60 local and international artists from 5–7 June. This three-day event offers unprecedented access to the working environments of Ubud’s diverse artistic community, including painters, architects, ceramicists, textile designers, photographers, and more.

Three days. Sixty artists. One city buzzing with creativity. See you this weekend! 👋🏼

In just three weeks’ time, between 28 and 31 May, our sister event, the Ubud Food Festival, celebrates the region’s bust...
09/05/2026

In just three weeks’ time, between 28 and 31 May, our sister event, the Ubud Food Festival, celebrates the region’s bustling hospitality scene once again with four outrageously tasty days, infused with this year’s theme: Farmers: Guardians of Land and Sea.

This year’s programme is nothing short of extraordinary, stacked with international and Indonesian talent well worth the journey. We have curated exclusive Special Events at every price point, with capacity strictly limited. Last year, events sold out within days, and this year demand is even higher.

Browse Special Events and book your tickets now (link in bio).

In just three weeks time, between 28 and 31 May, our sister event the Ubud Food Festival celebrates the regions bustling...
09/05/2026

In just three weeks time, between 28 and 31 May, our sister event the Ubud Food Festival celebrates the regions bustling hospitality scene once again with four outrageously tasty days, infused with this years theme: Farmers: Guardians of Land and Sea.

This years programme is nothing short of extraordinary, stacked with international and Indonesian talent well worth the journey. We have curated exclusive Special Events at every price point, with capacity strictly limited. Last year, events sold out within days and this year, demand is even higher.

Browse Special Events and book your tickets now: ubudfoodfestival.com/program-category/special-events/

Bergabunglah dalam kelas menulis online kami bersama penulis dan penerjemah Indonesia, Awi Chin. Dalam kelas ini, pesert...
05/05/2026

Bergabunglah dalam kelas menulis online kami bersama penulis dan penerjemah Indonesia, Awi Chin. Dalam kelas ini, peserta akan menjelajahi keunikan gaya penulisan melalui pilihan diksi, metafora, citraan, ritme kalimat, serta sudut pandang, sekaligus dibimbing untuk menemukan dan mempertajam gaya personal mereka.

Workshop ini dirancang untuk penulis tingkat menengah yang ingin mengembangkan gaya penulisan agar terasa lebih khas dan berkarakter. Sesi kelas menulis daring akan dilaksanakan dalam bahasa Indonesia melalui Zoom. Daftarkan diri Anda melalui ubudwritersfestival.com/programme (atau klik tautan di bio kami).

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Join our next online writing class with Indonesian writer and translator Awi Chin, where participants explore the uniqueness of writing style through diction, metaphor, imagery, sentence rhythm, and point of view, and are guided to discover and sharpen their personal voice. This workshop is designed for intermediate writers who want to refine their style and make their writing stand out from others.

Sessions Times by Time Zone:

14:00–16:00 (Western Indonesian Time)
15:00–17:00 (Central Indonesian Time)
16:00–18:00 (Eastern Indonesian Time)

These online writing classes will be conducted in Indonesian via Zoom. Register yourself via ubudwritersfestival.com/programme (or tap the link in our bio).

Join us for an engaging and educational journey into the world of literature with our Festival School programme. For pri...
29/04/2026

Join us for an engaging and educational journey into the world of literature with our Festival School programme. For primary, secondary, and university students, we offer fun, interactive, and educational discussions and workshops with some of the world’s most exciting literary talents joining our 2026 Festival, aiming to deepen their love of reading and writing.

Learn more about our programme at ubudwritersfestival.com/schools (or tap the link in bio).

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Bergabunglah dalam perjalanan seru di dunia baca-tulis lewat program Festival School kami. Untuk siswa SD, SMP, SMA, hingga mahasiswa, kami menghadirkan diskusi dan workshop yang interaktif dan menyenangkan bersama para penulis dan pengisi acara inspiratif yang akan hadir di Festival 2026. Program ini dirancang untuk membuat peserta semakin s**a membaca dan menulis.

Cari tahu lebih lanjut di ubudwritersfestival.com/schools (atau klik link di bio).

Every year, we offer an emerging artist the opportunity to take part by creating the Festival artwork, through which the...
16/04/2026

Every year, we offer an emerging artist the opportunity to take part by creating the Festival artwork, through which they can reach a wider audience while emphasising the vital role artists play in storytelling.

This year, Balinese painter Aris Sarmanta is the creative mind behind the official artwork, inspired by the theme Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.

We spoke with the exciting talent, whose work is rooted in the Batuan painting tradition, to explore the vision and creative process behind his work, as well as his reflections on the festival’s theme and Ubud.

Check out our website to read the full interview (or link in bio).

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Setiap tahun, kami mengundang seorang seniman muda untuk menciptakan karya seni Festival, sekaligus membuka peluang untuk menjangkau audiens yang lebih luas dan menyoroti peran penting seniman dalam bercerita.

Tahun ini, pelukis Bali Aris Sarmanta menciptakan karya resmi Festival yang terinspirasi dari tema Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.

Kami berbincang dengan Aris, yang karyanya berakar pada tradisi lukisan Batuan, untuk menggali visi dan proses kreatif di balik karyanya, serta refleksinya terhadap tema festival dan Ubud.

Baca wawancara lengkapnya di website kami (atau melalui link di bio).

A visionary, a poet, a modernist. Chairil Anwar’s life was short but prolific and impactful. One can only wonder if he d...
15/04/2026

A visionary, a poet, a modernist. Chairil Anwar’s life was short but prolific and impactful. One can only wonder if he didn’t leave us too soon, how his words would have influenced future generations of Indonesia. How his poems would have reached far beyond the archipelago, for his works are certainly a bridge of evolution between classic Indonesian poetry and new forms. Listen to Bayu Lesmana and Pranita Dewi, read Anwar’s poems on his death anniversary.

Anwar left the world on 28 April at the age of 28. In his poem Aku (Me), he says, “I want to live a thousand more years.” The legacy of his poems keeps him alive, and we gather at Indus Restaurant to celebrate him. There will be an open mic segment. We encourage you to bring your poems written inspired by Chairil Anwar or read a poem by him. Take a moment to read his work and write in the spirit of Chairil Anwar, a poet gone too soon.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 28 April
⏰ Time: 19:00-21:00
📍 Location: Indus Restaurant
🎟️ Admission: Free entry with registration

🔗 Book your spot via the festival website: ubudwritersfestival.com/programs/open-mic-remembering-chairil-anwar (or link in bio).

Are you planning to publish a book this year? Our Book Launch Programme offers a platform to present new work through a ...
08/04/2026

Are you planning to publish a book this year? Our Book Launch Programme offers a platform to present new work through a spotlight event, open to festival-goers and the public during our 2026 Festival.

Submissions are open across all genres—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, novels, satire, and more—from both emerging and established writers in English or Indonesian.

When preparing your submission for our Book Launch Programme, keep a few things in mind: Check out ubudwritersfestival.com/submission-guidelines for your A–Z guide to submitting, and if you are ready to apply, please complete the form at ubudwritersfestival.com/launch by Friday, 22 May 2026 (or via the link in bio).

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Berencana menerbitkan buku tahun ini? Program Book Launch kami memberi Anda kesempatan untuk memperkenalkan karya baru melalui acara sorotan dalam Festival 2026, yang terbuka untuk publik.

Kami menerima semua genre—fiksi, nonfiksi, puisi, novel, dan lainnya—dari penulis pemula maupun yang sudah berpengalaman, dalam bahasa Inggris atau Indonesia.

Sebelum mendaftar, silakan pelajari panduan di ubudwritersfestival.com/submission-guidelines. Jika sudah siap, ajukan pendaftaran Anda melalui ubudwritersfestival.com/launch sebelum Jumat, 22 Mei 2026 (atau melalui tautan di bio).

You are not tired because you are weak — you are tired because you are out of rhythm.For thousands of years, ancient tra...
07/04/2026

You are not tired because you are weak — you are tired because you are out of rhythm.

For thousands of years, ancient traditions understood something modern life has forgotten: balance begins when we live in alignment with our natural rhythm.

In this special session with Dr Komang Sudarmi, B.A.M.S., M.S., Ph.D., an Indonesian Ayurvedic physician & researcher trained in India, discover the foundations of Ayurvedic wisdom & learn simple daily rituals to bring clarity, calm & balance back into your life.

10:00 – 11:30 Wisdom Class: Know Your Nature (with Q&A)
11:30 – 13:00 Tea & Lunch Break
13:00 – 15:00 Practice Class: Healing in Your Own Hands

Click the link in our bio to book your spot.

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Anda tidak lelah karena Anda lemah, tetapi karena ritme Anda sedang tidak seimbang.

Selama ribuan tahun, tradisi kuno telah memahami sesuatu yang sering dilupakan oleh kehidupan modern: keseimbangan dimulai ketika kita hidup selaras dengan ritme alami kita.

Dalam sesi khusus bersama Dr. Komang Sudarmi, B.A.M.S., M.S., Ph.D., seorang dokter dan peneliti Ayurveda asal Indonesia yang menempuh pendidikan di India, Anda akan mengenal dasar-dasar kebijaksanaan Ayurveda serta mempelajari ritual harian sederhana untuk menghadirkan kembali kejernihan, ketenangan, dan keseimbangan dalam hidup Anda.

10.00 – 11.30 Kelas Kebijaksanaan: Kenali Sifat Alami Anda (dengan sesi tanya jawab)
11.30 – 13.00 Istirahat Teh & Makan Siang
13.00 – 15.00 Kelas Praktik: Penyembuhan di Tangan Anda Sendiri

Ketuk tautan di bio kami untuk mendaftarkan diri Anda.

Kita akan diajak membedah struktur cerita agar lebih kuat dan berkesan. Peserta mengeksplorasi alur, memahami konflik ut...
04/04/2026

Kita akan diajak membedah struktur cerita agar lebih kuat dan berkesan. Peserta mengeksplorasi alur, memahami konflik utama dan konflik sampingan, serta membahas pilihan ending: terbuka, mengejutkan, atau pahit. Fokus pada analisis, contoh, dan diskusi.

Sesi kelas menulis daring akan dilaksanakan dalam bahasa Indonesia melalui Zoom.

Cocok bagi penulis yang ingin ceritanya lebih nendang. Daftarkan diri Anda melalui ubudwritersfestival.com/programme (atau klik tautan di bio kami).

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We will be guided to dissect story structure in order to make it stronger and more impactful. Participants will explore plot development, understand main and secondary conflicts, and discuss different types of endings: open, surprising, or bittersweet. The class focuses on analysis, examples, and discussion.

These online writing classes will be conducted in Indonesian via Zoom.

This class is suitable for writers who want their stories to pack a stronger punch.

Sessions Times by Time Zone:

14:00–16:00 (Western Indonesian Time)
15:00–17:00 (Central Indonesian Time)
16:00–18:00 (Eastern Indonesian Time)

Register yourself via ubudwritersfestival.com/programme (or tap the link in our bio).

Address

Jalan Raya Sanggingan
Badung
80571

Telephone

+6281246838459

Website

http://ubudwritersfestival.com/

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