Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025

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Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

Festival Dates: 29 October – 2 November

These literary luminaries and brilliant minds join us this October!

Festival

All Speakers

Discover our festival’s main programme. From searing rhetoric to masterly poetry, from the breathtakingly personal to the urgently political, this programme truly has it all.

Main Programme

Clare Wright: Ṉäku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions

02 November 2025

Valley Stage

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Main Programme

Keynote: David Van Reybrouck

30 October 2025

Indus Restaurant

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Main Programme

Gail Jones: The Name of the Sister

30 October 2025

Alang-Alang Stage

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Main Programme

Israel and Palestine: Pathways to Peace

31 October 2025

Indus Restaurant

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Main Programme

Banu Mushtaq: Heart Lamp

01 November 2025

Alang-Alang Stage

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Main Programme

Pico Iyer: Aflame

02 November 2025

Valley Stage

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Main Programme

Jenny Erpenbeck: Kairos

02 November 2025

Alang-Alang Stage

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Main Programme

Peter Greste: The Correspondent

01 November 2025

Indus Restaurant

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Special Events

01 November 2025 | 17:00 - 20:30

A Royal Night at Puri Kantor Legacy

Puri Kantor Legacy

Join us for a royal evening where history, culture, and flavour come alive at Puri Kantor Legacy, the heritage palace of Tjokorda Gde Rake Soekawati, the last King of Ubud who introduced Bali to the world in Paris, 1931. Once Upon a Time – A...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 18:30 - 20:00

Music and the Spoken Word

Soulshine Bali

Make the most of your evening with music and spoken word poetry overlooking breathtaking views of Ubud’s lush jungle and rice fields at the scenic Soulshine. Spoken word performer Dana Dajani’s powerful voice and Annabel’s songs and music combine...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 15:30 - 17:00

The Art of Tea

Dragon Tea Temple

Step into the Dragon Tea Temple for an afternoon steeped in tradition, sipping organic tea and savouring small bites. This isn’t just about refreshment; it’s a cherished ritual. Antoinette Lattouf champions human rights and independent media,...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 11:00 - 13:00

Stories That Matter

Begawan Biji Restaurant

Meet Craig Leeson, an award-winning filmmaker, environmental activist, and journalist with a mission. He is the director of A Plastic Ocean, a documentary that pulls back the curtain on plastic pollution and its devastation of marine...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30

Short Stories, Long Nights

COMO Uma Ubud

Miles Merrill presents a luxurious night of wine-pairing, artisan cheese and poetry at Kemiri, COMO Uma Ubud’s frangipani-fringed restaurant. Short Stories, our featured wine, is fresh from the Barossa Valley and newly crafted by the legendary...

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Special Events

01 November 2025 | 12:00 - 14:00

Dim Sum Diaries

Casa Luna

Join us downstairs in Casa Luna’s jungle-view dining room, for a one-of-a-kind Dim Sum feast from Bali’s own, Panda Kitchen. Amid the charm of trolleys, steaming bamboo baskets, dumplings, noodles and bao, Ning Ken and Zhou Bo will serve up...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 18:00 - 21:00

A Once in a Lifetime Dinner Party

Rumah Melati Estate

Join us for a rare, intimate dinner experience with literary stars and culinary legends.Think candlelight, one impossibly long table, and conversations that carry you from Booker Prize winners to environmental activists, poets, memoirists and...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 19:00 - 20:30

Promosi Sastra Launch

Casa Luna

The Ministry of Culture will host an exclusive, invitation-only lunch to unveil a new platform promoting Indonesian literature abroad. The website will showcase the richness and diversity of Indonesian writing while supporting authors,...

Special Events

01 November 2025 | 11:00 - 13:00

Brunch with Pico Iyer

DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons

Join Pico Iyer, world-renowned speaker and author, for an exclusive and intimate dinner made up of delectable bites and intimate conversation. The Di Sini Di Sana dining room is a stunning and metaphorically astute reflection of Iyer’s deep...

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Special Events

29 October 2025 | 18:00 - 22:00

Festival Opening Gala and Dinner

Puri Agung Ubud

Join our magical beginning to the region's most fearless Festival. On the grounds of the Ubud Royal Palace, our Festival Opening Gala pulses with life, a night of spectacle showcasing everything the Festival does best: bold ideas and...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 16:00 - 20:00

Discover the Magic of Fireflies Village with Bella Li

Rumah Konservasi Kunang-Kunang

Step into a realm of enchantment with Wayan Wardika as your guide on a captivating Fireflies Tour through Taro Village in Ubud, where twilight unveils the serene beauty of lush rice paddies and the shimmering dance of fireflies. Wayan, a local...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 16:00 - 20:00

Discover the Magic of Fireflies Village with Agustinus Wibowo

Rumah Konservasi Kunang-Kunang

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Special Events

01 November 2025 | 18:00 - 20:00

MTN Market: Banu Mushtaq and Jenny Erpenbeck in Conversation

Casa Luna

Banu Mushtaq, an Indian writer, women’s rights activist, lawyer, and winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, joins Jenny Erpenbeck, an acclaimed German author and winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize for her...

Special Events

02 November 2025 | 15:00 - 17:00

Forest Therapy

Jingga Restaurant at Bumi Kinar

The forest is a treasure trove of benefits waiting to be uncovered. Nina Karnikowski, who tackles social and environmental challenges, pairs up with Brigid Delaney, whose no-nonsense approach to wellness cuts through the noise. In the tranquil...

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Special Events

01 November 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

5Rhythms Dance Meditation with Gina Chick

Soulshine Bali

5Rhythms dance meditation is a conscious movement practice that offers a map for our deep wisdom to surface by following the innate intelligence of the body. Within each of us lies a guiding principle, a wild instinctive voice that knows who we...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:00

Masks of Bali: Between Heaven and Hell

Indus Restaurant

Join a journey into the origins, history and living legacy of Balinese mask dance, an ancient performance art spanning over a thousand years. Masks of Bali, authored by acclaimed mask dancer and scholar Prof. I Made Bandem and Indonesian...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 16:30 - 19:30

History Duet: Cosmos and Kingdom

Honeymoon Garden

Step into a history lesson like no other at Honeymoon Garden. Under the watchful gaze of Shiva and Ganesha, you'll gather for an afternoon that promises to inspire. Over the course of three hours, led by some of the world’s finest historians and...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 16:00 - 17:30

Porter 02: Living Dangerously

Indus Restaurant

Porter is a magazine by Peron House that gathers off-the-beaten-path narratives for discerning travellers, creatives, and makers. No. 01 — Coming of Age collects stories of personal journeys and growth...

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Special Events

02 November 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

The Maestro: Antonio Blanco

The Blanco Renaissance Museum

More than just a painter, Antonio Blanco was an eccentric force who dove passionately into the enchanting chaos of Ubud. He painted layers of beauty—each brushstroke a love letter to Bali’s cultural richness and the beautiful women who inspired...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 19:00 - 21:30

What Do We Do Now

Uma Cucina

Enter the elegant environs of Uma Cucina, into a gathering of some of the Festivals most impressive writers. Banu Mushtaq, Deepa Bhasthi, Thomas Mayo, Dana Dajani, Iyas Lawrence, and Juli Sastrawan will lay their truths bare with Steph Harmon...

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Pitch to Penguin

Di Sini Di Sana by Rachman & Sons

Do you have a manuscript or book idea you’re itching to get out there? Join leading publishers Penguin Random House and share your ten-minute pitch for instant feedback on your idea, with the opportunity to secure your dream book deal. Whether you...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 18:15 - 20:15

The 100th Printing of Laut Bercerita

Alang-Alang Stage

Join us for a special celebration of one of Indonesia’s most influential literary works. Leila S. Chudori’s Laut Bercerita, published in 2017, which recounts the abduction of activists in 1998 and the families’ search for their loved...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Thursday

Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

Join Darryl Jones in an early morning bird-walking tour across the Tjampuhan Ridge, Ubud’s most breathtaking iconic walk. The trail starts at the confluence of the Wos Rivers next to Ubud’s ancient temple, Pura Gunung Lebah. Witness more than...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Friday

Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

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Special Events

01 November 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Saturday

Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

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Special Events

30 October 2025 | 17:30 - 19:00

The Recurrent Mystical

Plataran Ubud Hotel & Spa

William Dalrymple, historian of legends, myths, and magic; Titah Aw, writer of ghosts and local wisdom; Ingrid Rojas Contreras, an author of the otherworldly. Our speakers are modern magicians who unearth the supernatural in the everyday. Under a...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30

Navigating the World

COMO Uma Ubud

At the crossroads of culture and exploration, where off-the-beaten-path adventures meet the ideals of sustainable travel, our writers dive deep into the depths of identity, belonging, memory and nostalgia. As twilight descends over the picturesque...

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Special Events

31 October 2025 | 12:30 - 14:30

Heirlooms: Literary Long Table Lunch

Herb Library Ubud

Join us at the charming open-air Herb Library for a long-table lunch that marries inventive, health-conscious cuisine with a deep dive into Heirlooms – What We Inherit. It's where we wrestle with the clash between material value and...

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Masterclasses

31 October 2025 | 14:00 - 16:00

Print, Protest, Punk: A Masterclass with Gilang Propagila

The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud, Bali

Join environmental campaigner and Founder of DIS PRINT KULTUR, Gilang Propagila, for a masterclass that explores the intersection of art, activism, and hardcore punk. Drawing on his work with grassroots movements like Bali Tolak Reklamasi and his...

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Masterclasses

01 November 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

An Introduction to Screenwriting with Ratih Kumala

Di Sini Di Sana by Rachman & Sons

In this special masterclass, Indonesian literary superstar Ratih Kumala will offer an essential introduction for writers looking to explore the world of screenwriting. Kumala brings a wealth of experience in television and film writing, following...

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Masterclasses

31 October 2025 | 14:00 - 15:00

Master Your Podcast with Makna Talks

Alila Ubud

Master your hosting and podcasting skills in this practical session, led by Iyas Lawrence, Founder and host of Makna Talks. Learn to ask sharper questions, engage your guests, and tell compelling stories while discovering how to connect...

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Masterclasses

01 November 2025 | 14:00 - 16:00

The Bestseller Blueprint: Author Marketing Essentials

Samsara Ubud

What does it really take to turn a book into a bestseller? In this practical and insightful masterclass, Chaitanya Srivastava, Senior Publicist at Penguin Random House Southeast Asia, Culture Writer, and book influencer, pulls back the...

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Masterclasses

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Rediscovering the Joy of Conscious Reading through Lectio Divina

Plataran Ubud Hotel & Spa

Across the globe, people are reading less for pleasure. The rise of digital media and the constant pull of social platforms have shifted habits, leaving many disengaged from deep, attentive reading. Once a refuge and a source of joy, reading is...

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Masterclasses

01 November 2025 | 15:30 - 16:30

Sound Bath with Bottlesmoker and Manuela Sauter

Soulshine Bali

Step into a one-of-a-kind BioSonic Soundbath where the natural vibrations of plants harmonise with the rich tones of traditional sound healing instruments, singing bowls, crystal bowls, and more. Presented by Bottlesmoker and Manuela Sauter, this...

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Masterclasses

02 November 2025 | 14:00 - 16:30

Scent and The Written Word

Powder Room by R4D

Many writers become entranced by the immersive experience it is to unlock a memory through scent. A powerful sensory tool, scents can trigger details of a memory, location, food, or person that often remain elusive to photographs or souvenirs. In...

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Masterclasses

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Nature and Travel Writing with Nina Karnikowski

MetlandVenya Ubud

Has the natural divine often felt out of reach to articulate? Join Nina Karnikowski in this unique masterclass as she focusses on the connection between oneself and the natural world. Nina's travel writing aims to encourage responsible travel to...

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Masterclasses

01 November 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Reclaiming Our Stories: A Writing Workshop on Desire

The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud

This intimate writing workshop creates a safe, supportive space for women to explore the complex landscape of sexuality, sensuality, and desire through creative expression. Whether you're navigating changing relationships, rediscovering your body...

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Masterclasses

31 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

The Poetics of Border Ethnography

Adiwana Suweta

Accurate and nuanced representations of migrant and refugee experiences are our greatest force in the face of prejudice. Petra Molnar has travelled across borders, documenting migrant and refugee stories. In this Masterclass, she explores with...

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Masterclasses

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Learning from Emerging Voices

Leona Suweta by Nakula

Join an intimate session with the Festival’s 2022 Emerging Writer, AIR Literature Västra Götaland resident, and Chevening Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, Awi Chin, alongside ten fellow Emerging Writers from the Festival’s 2025 cohort....

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Masterclasses

31 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

The Power of Storytelling in Personal Branding

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre

Led by Indonesian science journalist Harry Surjadi, this masterclass will show you how storytelling can be a powerful tool to express who you are, build trust and create meaningful connections. By shaping and sharing your story, you will gain the...

Masterclasses

01 November 2025 | 15:00 - 16:30

Practising Ethnography in Indonesia

SereS Springs Resort & Spa Singakerta, Ubud

Join this interactive masterclass to explore how traditional ethnographic training in Indonesia has often excluded those without cultural or financial privilege, with gender norms and social rules deciding who is considered a 'serious'...

Cultural Workshops

30 October 2025 | 06:00 - 09:00

Culinary Jalan-Jalan

Casa Luna

Ubud wakes early. Before tourists flood the streets, the real Bali hums to life in smoky warungs, in backstreets, in the hands of those who have spent decades perfecting their craft. This walking tour is about legacy, not reinvention. It starts...

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Cultural Workshops

02 November 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Brushes of Tradition: Tantri Sketch-Painting

Puri Kantor Legacy

Discover Tantri Sketch-Painting, a traditional sketching and painting style from Keliki, a village north of Ubud. In this two-hour session, you will explore the intricate art form while immersed in the inspiring setting of Puri Kantor. Nestled in...

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Cultural Workshops

02 November 2025 | 08:00 - 09:30

Ubud Royal Legacy Walking Tour

Plaza Tjok Gde Agung Sukawati, Ubud Art Market

In the shadow of colonial expansion across the Pacific, Tjokorda Gde Agung and Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati opened Ubud's palace doors to Western artists and intellectuals throughout the 1920s and 30s. From their small village in Bali's foothills,...

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Cultural Workshops

01 November 2025 | 14:30 - 16:00

Introduction to Balinese Dance with Kerta Art

Kerta Art Perfomance Club

This introductory workshop, led by master Ubudian dancer Kerta Art, introduces participants to the foundations of Balinese dance. Focusing on posture, gesture, and rhythm, the session explores how body awareness shapes movement and expression....

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Cultural Workshops

31 October 2025 | 11:00 - 13:00

Hands-On Tempe Culinary Experience

Tempego Experience Ubud

Discover Indonesia’s beloved culinary heritage with TempeMan, where tradition meets creativity and innovation. This immersive experience begins with a taste of nasi sambel tumpang served alongside unique tempe creations, followed by a guided tour...

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Cultural Workshops

02 November 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

Shadow Theatre: Journey to the Mother Tree

Yellow Coco Nest

Do you know which tree in your neighbourhood is the Mother Tree? It is the tallest and oldest, witnessing changes over many years and communicating through its roots and soil with other living beings nearby. In this session, Susan Allen shares the...

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Cultural Workshops

01 November 2025 | 09:30 - 12:00

Culinary Jalan-Jalan to Sukawati’s Hidden Gem

Meeting Point at Indus Restaurant

Discover the heart of Bali through Sukawati, a village where food is woven into daily life rather than performance. Begin in the bustling market, alive with color and spice, before tasting kerupuk tahu and learning the craft of tofu-making, a...

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Cultural Workshops

02 November 2025 | 10:00 - 15:00

Roots, Leaves, Fire: A Feast from the Forest

Warung D’Teba

Join Chef Krisna of Warung DiTeba for a journey into the wild abundance of Sayan, where food, fire, and story come together on the river’s edge. As you walk the land, you will learn how generations of Balinese have foraged leaves, roots, and...

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Cultural Workshops

01 November 2025 | 15:00 - 18:00

Brush with Myth: Exploring the Barong through Painting

Bumi Kinar Ubud

Discover the rich symbolism of the Barong, a guardian figure in Balinese mythology, through a hands-on painting workshop with talented creative artist Bagus Ari Maruta. Bagus, a third-generation painter from a family of artists rooted in Bali’s...

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Cultural Workshops

02 November 2025 | 11:00 - 13:00

The Language of Balinese Offerings

Nirvana Pension

With intricately woven leaves and a charming assortment of petals, you’ve likely admired the Balinese Hindu offerings adorning homes, streets, and temples. Now, uncover the reasons behind these rituals and explore the unique opportunity to delve...

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Cultural Workshops

31 October 2025 | 14:30 - 16:00

Exploring Indigo Tie Dye with Threads of Life

Threads of Life Natural Dye Studio

Join a hands-on workshop in the art of natural indigo dyeing. Begin with an introduction to Threads of Life and its natural dye studio, followed by a walk through the dye plant garden to learn about Indonesia’s traditional dyes. With step-by-step...

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Cultural Workshops

31 October 2025 | 08:00 - 09:00

Bahasa Indonesia Breakfast

Dharma Kula Ubud

Start your Festival day with an enriching breakfast as the Cinta Bahasa team introduces you to the basics of Bahasa Indonesia. Explore essential greetings, cultural etiquette, and useful Indonesian phrases to enhance your Ubud experience. Join us...

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Cultural Workshops

01 November 2025 | 08:00 - 09:00

Bahasa Bali Breakfast

Dharma Kula Ubud

Kick off your festival day with a tasty Breakfast & Learn session, led by one of Cinta Bahasa’s top teachers! Enjoy a delicious breakfast while picking up essential Balinese phrases and cultural insights from an expert who makes...

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Book Launches

02 November 2025 | 16:00 - 17:00

Mad Enough to Love You – Desire

Casa Luna

It began with a glance. It ended with a fire she couldn’t put out. In Bali, beneath the weight of heat and rain, a villa rises from the rice fields, and with it, a desire neither of them can bear to name. She thought she had come to build a life....

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 19:15 - 20:15

Yang Memberi Kita Nama

Indus Restaurant

The work of Singaporean poet Alvin Pang, translated by Aan Mansyur, invites us to explore identity and the powerful role of names in shaping who we are. Through lyrical and reflective poetry, this collection uncovers layers of memory, longing, and...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 17:15 - 18:15

Understanding Jokowi

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

What kind of legacy does Joko Widodo leave after a decade in power, and how will it shape Indonesia’s future? In this conversation, cultural critic and long-time observer Jean Couteau unpacks Jokowi’s ambitious drive for industrialisation,...

Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 17:45 - 18:45

The President of the State of East Indonesia

Rumah Kayu

This session features a reading and discussion of two books on Tjokorda Gde Rake Sukawati, the Ubud nobleman and former President of the State of East Indonesia (NIT), celebrated as a cultural diplomat of Bali. Participants will explore his...

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 19:00 - 20:00

Bringing Indonesia’s Stories to the World

Rumah Kayu

How can Indonesian literature reach a wider global audience? The answer lies not only in sending books overseas, but in building an ecosystem — festivals, digital platforms, curators, critics, and networks that give national storytellers a stage....

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 16:00 - 17:00

To Love The Pen: Our Literary Journeys

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Writers become writers through different paths: book deals, academia, self-publishing. Yet they often find and delight in prose and poetry for the same reasons. Authors know, despite it all, there is universality in the love of narrative—a...

Festival Club

02 November 2025 | 17:30 - 18:30

Omar Musa: Fierceland

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Join Bornean-Australian artist, rapper, poet, and author Omar Musa as he shares his newly released and long-awaited second novel. Fierceland is a post-capitalist family saga set against Malaysian Borneo’s deforestation. The ghosts of...

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 17:15 - 18:15

Mark Heyward: The Quality of Light

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Mark Heyward has called Indonesia home for over 30 years. Born in 1957 in small-town Tasmania, Australia, his travels and accredited expertise have informed multiple novels, travel guides, and the only licensed SPK International School in Lombok....

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 16:00 - 17:00

Kate Sawyer: Family Literature

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Constructing sizzling family dynamics in fiction is a difficult task, but often with a dazzling pay-off. How can authors protect the identity of those who inspire their craft? Can they maintain motivation to write into what they know best? How do...

Book Launches

02 November 2025 | 17:45 - 18:45

Climate Action 101 by Wisma Habibie

Indus Restaurant

Climate Action 101: Indonesia’s Guide for Newbies is more than an introduction to climate change, it’s a call to action. Aiming to democratise climate education, this guide empowers Indonesia’s youth to engage with a crisis already...

Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

Mengenalkan Ekologi dan Kekayaan Lokal pada Anak-Anak lewat seri Mata

Taman Dedari

Okky Madasari’s Mata series takes readers on thrilling journeys across Indonesia through the eyes of Matara, a curious and brave young girl. These adventure stories spark imagination and open windows into the country’s diverse landscapes...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 19:15 - 20:15

Paya Nie: Women’s Lives in the Midst of Conflict

Indus Restaurant

What becomes of women when armed conflict erupts? Paya Nie, winner of 3rd Prize at the 2023 Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition, tells of four Acehnese women: Ubiet, Mawa Aisyah, Cuda Aminah and Kak Limah. They search for binyeut, the...

Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 18:45 - 19:45

If Objects Could Speak: Storytelling with SAKA Museum

Indus Restaurant

At SAKA Museum, artefacts and artworks are not silent witnesses but catalysts for reflection and storytelling. This session guides participants to view objects as creative prompts, linking heritage with imagination and history with new narratives....

Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 19:00 - 20:00

Remembering Cok Sawitri

Rumah Kayu

Cokorda Sawitri, affectionately known as Cok Sawitri, was an Balinese artist who channelled her activism through both writing and performance. This session celebrates her life and legacy, as friends, colleagues, relatives, and loved ones honour...

Art Exhibition

16 September 2025 | 08:00 - 18:00

Kamasan Visual Study Project #1: Gerak Garis Kamasan

Purga Artspace

The Racuns and Gurat Art Project present a space of exploration where the line in Kamasan painting becomes a source of inspiration for contemporary visual art. This exploration arises from the awareness that tradition is not stagnant, but alive,...

Art Exhibition

10 October 2025 | 10:00 - 18:00

Kewajiban - The Obligation

Bagia Art Space

Obligation constitutes an inherent aspect of human existence, a responsibility arising from rules, norms, law, and morality. From this consciousness of obligation, artistic ideas take shape, opening a space for reflection on what must be enacted...

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 17:45 - 18:45

The Overthinking Chronicles

Rumah Kayu

Overthinking can keep us stuck in cycles of worry and self-doubt. This session explores how to recognise and reshape these mental patterns, offering practical tools to reflect, cultivate self-compassion, and turn anxious loops into empowering,...

Festival Club

31 October 2025 | 16:30 - 17:30

Illustrating Urban Realities

Rumah Kayu

Cities, streets and everyday life often serve as both inspiration and arenas for social critique. In this session, Gilang Propagila, Gus Dark and Emte reflect on how their experiences in Bali and Jakarta have shaped their artistic practices. From...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 17:45 - 18:45

Campuhan Ubud: Where East Meets West

Rumah Kayu

For generations, the Campuhan area in Ubud has been a symbolic meeting point where Balinese and international artists exchange ideas and help reshape the trajectory of Indonesian art. In this session, acclaimed Balinese painter and educator Wayan...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 19:00 - 20:00

Beyond Backlash: Imagining an Equal Future

Rumah Kayu

This session looks at how the global fight for gender equality, despite progress, faces new challenges in the social media era. From trends around the the conventional housewife to the Red Pill phenomenon, patriarchy is reasserting itself in what...

Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 17:15 - 18:15

Food as Story, Food as Home

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Food is never just about taste. It carries memory, identity, and belonging. In Indonesia, culinary traditions tell stories of families, migrations, and communities, linking past and present. This session looks at how food sustains memory, reflects...

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Festival Club

30 October 2025 | 16:30 - 17:30

Inside the Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa Award

Rumah Kayu

As one of Indonesia’s most prestigious literary awards, Kusala Sastra Khatulistiwa has been central to spotlighting contemporary voices and shaping the nation’s literary landscape for over two decades. This session brings together the programme...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 16:30 - 17:30

Voices from the East: Remembering Ajoeba Wartabone

Rumah Kayu

How do regional voices shape national identity, and why are some remembered while others forgotten? This session highlights the life and ideas of Ajoeba Wartabone, a nationalist leader from Gorontalo, Sulawesi. A participant in the 1946 Denpasar...

Festival Club

02 November 2025 | 16:30 - 18:00

The Grammar of Bali’s 1930s Movements

Rumah Kayu

Menoedjoe Masjarakat Baroe, translated as In the Making of a New Society, was published in Djatajoe in July 1939, a community journal by Bali Dharma Laksana. Written during a moment of political uncertainty, it...

Festival Club

01 November 2025 | 18:30 - 19:30

Writing for Children

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

From picture books and poetry to series fiction and non-fiction, children’s writing opens up a world of possibilities to spark imagination and curiosity. Stories can do more than entertain, they can awaken awareness of the world we live in. How...

Art Exhibition

29 October 2025 | 08:00 - 21:30

Journey to Self-Realization by LucyDream Art

Cafe Lotus

This exhibition is a visual exploration of the sacred path toward inner truth, inspired by the Sanskrit concept and responding to the Festival's 2025 theme, Aham Brahmasmi: I am the Universe. Through abstraction, symbolism, and emotional...

Art Exhibition

24 August 2025 | 10:00 - 22:00

The Unseen Thread

Bumi Kinar Ubud

In this exhibition, Ubud-born artist Bagus Ari Maruta explores the invisible threads that connect past and present, humanity and nature. Drawing on his roles as father, community member, and contemporary artist, Maruta uses colour, textiles, and...

Art Exhibition

04 October 2025 | 10:00 - 22:00

Ikatan

Jingga Restaurant at Bumi Kinar

IKATAN explores the connections between humans and fabric through the lens of professional fashion photographer and Menggah Agung creative director Hastosa. For him, fashion is more than aesthetics; it is a medium of storytelling expressed through...

Art Exhibition

25 October 2025 | 10:00 - 18:00

Found in Bali

Sika Gallery

Found in Bali by Jasper John Avice Demay reflects his perspective on life while working, exploring, and developing artworks during his time as an artist in residence at Ketemu Project. Inspired by everyday surroundings, the pieces are linked...

Book Launches

01 November 2025 | 18:00 - 19:00

Heritage Threads

Indus Restaurant

Heritage Threads explores the historical and cultural connections between Indian and Indonesian textile traditions, focusing on the double-Ikat Patola from Gujarat and its influence across Sumatra, Bali, Java, and Flores. Through richly...

Book Launches

01 November 2025 | 14:00 - 15:00

Love, Labels & Going Viral: Gen Z Stories for a Messy, Modern World

Di Sini Di Sana by Rachman & Sons

Boys' Love is the sequel to Danton Remoto’s first novel, Riverrun, which was both a critical and commercial success. The protagonist is a young adult, bewildered and excited by the challenges of being gay in societies undergoing...

Book Launches

31 October 2025 | 15:00 - 16:00

Trust No One – The Psychology Behind Crime Fiction

Rumah Kayu

In a gripping session on psychological thrillers and mystery fiction, Malaysian authors Ivy Ngeow In Safe Hands, Rueben Dass Skin, and Kam Raslan Malayan Spy explore power, fear, and survival through distinct but...

Book Launches

30 October 2025 | 15:00 - 16:00

Until Even The Angels

Powder Room by R4D

Until Even The Angels, Suzanne Scott Tomita’s debut literary crime novel, follows Detective Ayesha Nur as she investigates the attempted assassination of successful London real estate agent Isabelle Goh. The case forces Ayesha to confront...

Book Launches

02 November 2025 | 11:30 - 12:30

Ombak par Kapur

Rumah Kayu

Ombak par Kapur is a tender and poetic memoir about finding meaning in unexpected places. When Aranye arrives in a remote village on Indonesia’s eastern coast, she brings chalk, a blackboard, and the hope of building a classroom. But what...

Book Launches

02 November 2025 | 11:30 - 12:30

Life as I Know It

Shelter Island

Life as I Know It by Mohammad Taufiq, better known as Emte, captures the unique joy of exploring a new city alone. The book celebrates the freedom to follow your own rhythm, from savoring a meal without hesitation to laughing or crying...

Book Launches

30 October 2025 | 15:00 - 16:00

Galeo Anak Segara

Rumah Kayu

Galeo Anak Segara by Andara Fembriarto tells the story of Galeo, a young member of the Napak tribe who lives in the vast ocean known as the Samuagara World. In this realm, the Napak people are fishermen with the extraordinary ability to...

Book Launches

01 November 2025 | 13:30 - 14:30

Chirping Town

Rumah Kayu

In Chirping Town, the thrilling second book of The Capital Series, Indonesian author Aranindy explores a world where every moment is staged and emotions are carefully crafted. Childhood friends Tharen Walugi and Ameira Tilada...

Book Launches

02 November 2025 | 13:30 - 14:30

Bia dan Kapak Batu

Rumah Kayu

The story of Bia dan Kapak Batu follows Paskalina, Kosmas, and Urbanus, born amid a cultural shift where traditional foods like sago and fish give way to rice bags and instant noodles, sacred statues become commodities, and malnutrition...

Book Launches

30 October 2025 | 15:00 - 16:00

Archipelagos 3: The Power of Imang in Nusantara

The Elephant

Archipelagos: The Power of Imang in Nusantara by Andi Muhammad Akbar is the third book in the Archipelagos series, which follows seven children from different Indonesian tribes: Javanese, Bugis, Dayak, Batak, Balinese, Maluku,...

Book Launches

01 November 2025 | 11:30 - 12:30

Ajengan Anjing

Rumah Kayu

In this new book, Ridwan Malik tells the story of Harak, a humble mutt owned by a farm laborer who, in the final moments of his life, witnesses his entire journey unfold before him. Though his time was brief and his form that of a dog, the world’s...

After Dark Performances

30 October 2025 | 18:30 - 20:00

Empire: Rooting for the Antihero on Thursday

Honeymoon Garden

Empire reimagines the journey of an all-boys Austrian football team on their naively hedonistic adventure through the Dutch East Indies in 1934. For these young travellers, the Indies appeared as an illusive playground with lush parties,...

After Dark Performances

01 November 2025 | 19:00 - 20:30

The Wayang Women: Wewe Gombel

Honeymoon Garden

The Wayang Women is a multinational all-female troupe reimagining the traditional Kelantanese art of Wayang Kulit, which was once performed almost exclusively by men. The performance brings female ghost figures from Southeast Asian folk tales to...

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After Dark Performances

02 November 2025 | 19:00 - 22:00

Festival Closing Night Party

The Blanco Renaissance Museum

The 2025 Festival closing night is a spectacular finale that showcases everything the Festival does best: bold ideas and powerful performances. Expect fiery writers and brilliant artists celebrating along with the Festival supporters, staff, and...

Film Programme

01 November 2025 | 18:15 - 19:45

The Last Glaciers

Alang-Alang Stage

The Last Glaciers tells the story of climate change through the visual impact of one of the planet’s most important and yet critically threatened resources – glaciers. A trip to the Alps in 2017 shocked award-winning filmmaker Craig...

After Dark Performances

31 October 2025 | 20:00 - 21:30

Empire: Rooting for the Antihero on Friday

Honeymoon Garden

Film Programme

01 November 2025 | 17:00 - 18:00

Return of the Fireflies

Paradiso Ubud

In the heart of bustling Bali, Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde and a team of local Balinese have spent three years tending a dream: a Firefly Garden where light returns to the night. This intimate love story between people and nature captures...

After Dark Performances

29 October 2025 | 20:00 - 20:30

Maliang Liang

Plaza Tjok Gde Agung Sukawati

This performance invites you to experience the pure joy evoked by Maliang Liang, where children at play are so absorbed they lose all sense of time. In today’s world, it becomes a reflection of how we, too, are swept away by pleasure, progress,...

Film Programme

01 November 2025 | 16:00 - 17:00

Ngambe' Teladan

Paradiso Ubud

Join us for a documentary film exploring the ancestral heritage that thrives in the daily life of the Iban Indigenous community in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo. Inspired by nature, plants, animals, and ancestral spirits, this heritage...

Film Programme

02 November 2025 | 15:00 - 17:30

ROOTS

Paradiso Ubud

Ninety-eight years after the free-spirited, highly talented painter and musician Walter Spies first visited Bali, his spirit returns to the island. But with Spies came tourism and modernity. Michael Schindhelm’s poetic docu-fiction tells a...

Film Programme

30 October 2025 | 19:00 - 21:00

Samsara

Alang-Alang Stage

Join us for the film screening of Samsara, set in Bali in 1932, where Darta (Ario Bayu), a poor man rejected by his beloved’s wealthy parents, makes a fateful pact with the Monkey King (Gus Bang Sada). Rooted in Indonesian mysticism, this...

Film Programme

31 October 2025 | 16:00 - 18:00

Gayatri: The Majapahit Trilogy (Episode 1)

Paradiso Ubud

Step into the grandeur of Majapahit with GAYATRI, the first in a three-part historical opera by Indonesian artist mhyajo, inspired by Mpu Prapanca’s Nagarakretagama, recognised by UNESCO as a Memory of the World. The film follows Princess...

Film Programme

31 October 2025 | 20:30 - 22:30

The Last Accord: War, Apocalypse, and Peace in Aceh

Alang-Alang Stage

This documentary film traces one of Southeast Asia’s longest conflicts and the remarkable peace that followed. For nearly three decades, the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were locked in violent struggle until the 2005...

Film Programme

01 November 2025 | 20:00 - 21:00

Wiku Tapini

Alang-Alang Stage

Step into the world of the Wiku Tapini, women entrusted with one of Bali’s most sacred and demanding roles. This documentary unveils the lives of those devoted to preparing banten, the intricate offerings central to grand ceremonies such...

Film Programme

30 October 2025 | 21:15 - 22:30

Koesno: Jati Diri Soekarno

Alang-Alang Stage

Nominated for Best Short Documentary at the 2022 Indonesian Film Festival (FFI), Koesno: Jati Diri Soekarno is a docudrama that revisits the youth of Soekarno, the first President of Indonesia and a central figure in the country’s...

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Film Programme

01 November 2025 | 21:00 - 22:00

One More Cup of Coffee for Ambe'

Alang-Alang Stage

The Torajan people of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, are deeply rooted in a culture where death is not an end but an extension of life. This ethnographic film explores approaches to death among adherents of the Aluk to Dolo belief system who have...

After Dark Performances

01 November 2025 | 19:30 - 22:30

2025 Festival Poetry Slam

Valley Stage

The annual Poetry Slam is one of the festival’s most sizzling events. From global poets to local sensations, who will captivate the crowd? In this event, we unite writers from around the world to slam, spin, and interweave their original words in...

After Dark Performances

02 November 2025 | 18:30 - 19:00

Aguru Waktra: Reimagining Lontar Budha Kecapi

The Blanco Renaissance Museum

Aguru Waktra is a movement-based theatre work inspired by the Lontar Budha Kecapi. It reimagines the story of Kalimosada and Kalimosadi, devoted disciples of Budha Kecapi, a hermit and healer. Through their journey, the performance...

After Dark Performances

30 October 2025 | 20:00 - 22:00

Women Poetry Slam

Indus Restaurant

Our Women’s Poetry Slam returns with the theme Where Are Women in the Universe? in response to this year’s Festival theme, I Am the Universe. This powerful event invites poets to explore their own universe and relationship to...

After Dark Performances

02 November 2025 | 17:30 - 18:00

Brides Should Not Sew Their Own Wedding Dresses

Festival Hub at Taman Baca

Join a visual-performative work by Indonesian artist Agnes Christina, unfolding across seven sheets of translucent drafting paper painted with poster colour, each paired with poetic text. The steps of dressmaking, including measuring, cutting,...

After Dark Performances

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 19:00

Puisi on the Spot

Festival Hub at Taman Baca

Every story has a truth that poetry can reveal. At Puisi on the Spot, we listen, and in real time transform your words into a poem, one you can hold, take home, and keep as yours alone. It’s poetry created in the moment: personal, immediate, and...