Ubud, Bali—Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is proud to announce its return to the grounds of Taman Baca from 21 to 25 October 2026, bringing together writers and readers in an inspiring programme under the banner of this year’s festival theme: Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.

This year’s Festival takes a fresh look at the world with award-winning authors and journalists, artists, changemakers, and innovators through an array of conversations and events—from author talks and panel discussions to workshops, literary lunches, live performances, late-night comedy, and spoken word galas—as well as book launches that celebrate literature and creative expression across disciplines.

The four-day programme will be guided by the theme Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action, which originates in Sanskrit philosophy and emphasises the harmony between Citta (mind), Rasa (heart), and Karsa (action). It invites reflection on how thought, feeling, and action can exist in harmony, with awareness bringing clarity, empathy building connection, and action turning insight into purpose.

Reflecting on the collaboration, Wayan Aris Sarmanta said, “I am so excited to have had the opportunity to illustrate this year’s artwork. I wanted to create one single, unified image, with mythical creatures and landscapes shimmering with energy. I hope the viewer can become tangled up in all its forms and be left with only a memory of collected minutiae.”

Alongside the artwork unveiling, the Festival is launching its Writers’ Retreat, a three-day intensive programme led by award-winning author and journalist Peter Godwin, renowned for his work that intertwines personal narrative with political history. The retreat is tailored for writers working on memoir, autobiographical fiction, or narrative non-fiction who are ready to explore memory with discipline and courage.

This year again, the Festival invites both emerging and established writers in English or Indonesian to launch new work through the Festival’s celebrated Book Launch Programme, which is open across all genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, novels, satire, and more. Submissions can now be submitted until Friday, 22 May 2026, after which they will be assessed by a curatorial committee.