Namal Siddiqui is a cultural curator, poet, and the new International Program Manager for the Festival. Her love for literature and poetry shapes her creative work. Namal has curated programmes for leading cultural institutions, including the Emirates Literature Foundation, the National Library and Archives Abu Dhabi, Expo City Dubai, COP28, and various arts foundations across the UAE.
In the lead-up to the 2025 Festival, we sat down with Namal to talk about what inspired her to take on the role, what the Festival theme Aham Brahmasmi means to her, and what audiences can expect from this year’s international lineup.
What inspired you to take on the International Program Manager role?
I love seeing ideas and dreams come alive and transform into something real and larger. A literary festival is a place where, as a curator, I am able to dream and deliver in its landscape. Last year, I attended the Festival as a poet and was completely taken by Ubud’s cultural space and its dynamics. As a literary curator at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in the United Arab Emirate (UAE), I could see the distinct differences between both cities and their organisation. As a third culture kid, I feel Ubud is a similar space, but with its own unique offering of abundant culture and beauty. It is really a mix then, my love for literature, a magical place like Ubud, and, most of all, the opportunity to bring important themes and individuals together to create dialogue that may move hearts to read more, to take action in a world that awaits a positive change. This year, I have the opportunity to co-curate the Festival with Hannah Curtis, and it has been a pleasure to work with her and the extended team.
What does the 2025 Festival theme Aham Brahmasmi mean to you?
Aham Brahmasmi is a reminder that we are all one and the same as the universe. We come with our idiosyncrasies, yet what we yearn for are the same things: love, compassion, growth, contentment. Our quest is not the fight; our quest is to find common ground. To be human is to have great responsibility towards the earth and its functions, but we must be gentle and humble. We are living at a time where we must unlearn and learn again the concepts of history, education, social posturing, climate, food. Aham Brahmasmi is a calling.
What can we expect from the 2025 Festival?
In this year’s Festival, staying true to the theme, one should expect inclusivity and a comprehensive coverage of current socio-political and cultural matters. There is a sense of change in the themes we are exploring, whether it is tackling human rights, genocide, understanding Artificial Intelligence, rereading history, and really holding onto peace and calm while navigating through a chaotic world. Our authors are diverse, from all around the world, award-winning and emerging, and I cannot wait for us to share the Festival with the world.
What books are currently on your nightstand?
I am reading The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan, Majapahit by Herald Van Der Linde, Rebel Sultans by Manu Pillai, The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates and in Urdu, Mah o Sāl-i-Āshnā'i: Yādon kā Majmūʻah (Months and Years of Friendship: Recollections in the Soviet Union) by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
