THE FESTIVAL THE THEME

Set in the heart of Ubud, Bali’s vibrant art and cultural hub, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival invites thousands of attendees each year who are offered the opportunity to listen to world-leading writers, poets, and novelists in conversations about a range of themes. We take pride in celebrating curiosity and a sense of intellectual adventure every October in the heart of Bali. Our program is driven by the desire to spark ideas, foster dialogue, and provide a space for engaging with the world. Alongside author inconversations and panel discussions, there will be a wide-ranging offering of Indonesian dance and performance, literary lunches, guided tours of Ubud’s famous markets, temples, and rice fields, late-night comedy, musical and spoken word galas, as well as book launches, workshops, and events designed to enrich and inspire the imaginations of emerging writers and young people.

This year, the festival embraces the theme of Atita, Wartamana, Anagata: The Past, the Present, and the Future. This theme is inspired by the Balinese concept of ‘Tri Semaya,’ which is the philosophical view of time as non-linear, circular, and collective. It embodies the idea of Atita, Wartamana, Anagata as inseparable and existing simultaneously. The concept evokes a metaphysical representation of ‘being’ that goes beyond the life of a single individual.

It places importance on balance and harmony, weaving a delicate thread that ties humanity together across time and space. It transcends individualism for our mutual sustenance from one generation to the next.