Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026

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Book Launch

Our Home is not an Empty Wasteland

24 October 2026

Rumah Kayu

Book Launch

Finnegan

24 October 2026

NARI - Fire Influenced Bistro

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Book Launch

Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati: The Prince Who Took Bali to the World

25 October 2026

Puri Kantor Ubud

Festival Club

Mondo Gascaro: Cinematic Sounds and Beyond

24 October 2026

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Book Launch

Whispers of The Shadow

23 October 2026

Rumah Kayu

Book Launch

Menjahit Retakan Sejarah

22 October 2026

Rumah Kayu

Festival Club

Juno Gemes: Until Justice Comes

24 October 2026

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Festival Club

The Battle of Bali: Colonialism and Resistance

23 October 2026

Bar Luna at Casa Luna

Special Event

22 October 2026 | 18:30 - 21:00

Candlelight on Clay

Gaya Ceramic

Candlelight on clay. Dinner is served on ceramics crafted just metres from where you're sitting. Around you, shelves of hand-thrown bowls and luminous glazes fill one of Bali's most celebrated ceramic studios. Begin with an aperitivo and a private tour of the Gaya workshop before taking your place at a beautifully set...

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Special Event

24 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:30

Pitch to Penguin

Honeymoon Garden

Do you have a manuscript or book idea you are itching to get out there? Join leading publishers Penguin Random House SEA and share your ten minute pitch for instant feedback on your idea, with the opportunity to secure your dream book deal. Whether you have a full manuscript ready or a couple of ideas bouncing...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 06:30 - 08:30

Bali's Herbs and Remedies

Casa Luna

Before there were pharmacies, there was the forest. Before there were doctors, there were the farmers, the healers, the ones who knew which leaf cooled a fever and which root eased a labouring back. Walk with us through that living memory. Starting from Casa Luna, we trace quiet paths through the heart of Ubud, past the...

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Special Event

25 October 2026 | 16:00 - 20:00

Wings, Light, and Stories from The Fireflies Village

Rumah Konservasi Kunang-Kunang

Step into a magical evening where daytime’s flutter meets the night’s gentle glow. Begin with a twilight walk to witness the mesmerising dance of fireflies in their natural habitat, guided by firefly conservationist Wayan Wardika. Afterwards, gather around the table for an intimate dinner with writer Titah AW, whose...

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Special Event

25 October 2026 | 12:00 - 14:00

Who Are We In This Complicated World?

Casa Luna

Overlooking a bamboo jungle, the beloved Casa Luna long table lunch returns to its lofty dining room, and this time the question on the table is Rumi's own: are we mortal or divine, flesh or flame? Eight centuries later, we ask it again. In the kitchen, Sanjoy Roy is cooking up an Indian feast, a shared meal of...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 13:00 - 14:30

Storytelling Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.

Sudamala Ubud

In the grounds of the new Sudamala hotel, under an open sky, eight storytellers step up, one voice at a time, no scripts, no safety net. A palliative care physician who has sat with thousands of last breaths, Rachel Clarke. A wordsmith who spends his life chasing the scandalous pasts of ordinary words, Sumanto...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 15:30 - 17:00

Writers in Cafes

Powder Room by R4D

Writers love cafés, perhaps for the quiet hum of conversation, the familiar ritual of a cup of coffee, or simply the feeling that writing does not have to be a solitary act. Writers in Cafes brings together speakers from Ukraine, Austria, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia for readings and an open conversation about...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 19:00 - 21:00

Fire and Islands

Nari Restaurant

At Nari, everything begins with fire. Beneath the open sky, with Gunung Lebah Temple rising beyond the trees, flame shapes every dish, every aroma and the mood of the evening itself. A specially created three-course feast celebrates fire in all its forms. Smoke, ember and flame transform the finest local ingredients into...

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Special Event

24 October 2026 | 15:00 - 17:00

Men Spill The Tea

Dragon Tea Temple

Creating safe spaces, allowing time for emotional healing and self-awareness. These are concepts often heard beside women's wellness but are often neglected when it comes to men. Male mental well-being is just as important and has evolved over time to be seen in a positive light. Vulnerability and sharing are appreciated,...

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Special Event

24 October 2026 | 16:30 - 19:30

Gods, Myths and Storytellers

Honeymoon Garden

Mythology, deities and religion are ingrained in the human experience. From habits, great practices, fables, lessons and scriptures, humans find rhythm and structure in their lives. Divinity and mysticism are not separate from us, and are the essence of human existence. Join writers and researchers who come together to...

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Special Event

24 October 2026 | 17:00 - 18:30

Poetry of the World

Uma Cucina

Poetry is a shared language across the people of the world. One can listen to the sound of words and be moved by it, for feeling is the transport of one's soul, and words are a medium. A communal invitation to know that our experiences, as unique as they are, are also shared, that we are not alone. Poetry is the tug of...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 19:00 - 22:30

Festival Fundraising Dinner

Rumah Melati Estate

For one unforgettable evening, the Festival invites you to take your place at a table unlike any other. Beneath the stars at Villa Melati, the magnificent private estate of Michelle and Raj Kannan, just twenty patrons will gather with some of the world's most celebrated writers, artists and cultural thinkers for an...

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Special Event

23 October 2026 | 12:00 - 14:00

A Lunch Between Here and There

DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons

Prabal Gurung & Bandana Tewari in conversation with Laksmi DeNeefe Suardana Where style, identity and the art of living meet. Step inside the extraordinary world of Jonathan Rachman, the celebrated designer and author whose nearly four decades in San Francisco have shaped some of the city's most...

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Special Event

22 October 2026 | 18:30 - 21:00

Dining with the Ancestors

Ruang Asmat, Roemah Hanoman

One private world, opened for one unforgettable afternoon. Your experience begins with an exclusive tour of Roemah Hanoman, home to one of Indonesia's most remarkable collections of indigenous art and cultural treasures. For more than four decades, explorer, ethnographer and collector Leksmono Santoso has travelled deep...

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Special Event

21 October 2026 | 18:00 - 22:00

Festival Opening Gala and Dinner

Puri Agung Ubud

This is the night one of the world’s most talked about events catches fire. It starts at the palace, Puri Agung Ubud. Ancient stone, the pulse of the gamelan, moonlit frangipani trees, and Balinese dancers shimmering across the stage. It is high octane, high glamour, and the perfect way to start an event in magical Ubud. After witnessing a...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 14:00 - 15:30

Crafting Your Travel Story

Alila Ubud

Same destination, entirely different story. Yet, more often than not, a journey leaves us with nothing but a mountain of field notes, interviews and memories, with no idea where to start. Led by Agustinus Wibowo, we will deconstruct the process behind the craft: asking the right questions of a place, observing and...

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Masterclass

24 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Find the Poem in Your Body

Herb Library

Are you a poet who'd like to get on stage but isn't quite sure how? Perhaps it's stage fright, or simply not knowing which poem to perform. If these questions are on your mind, join Ubud's minty minstrel, Eva Fernandes, for a spoken word performance masterclass, where poetry as self-expression is extended into something...

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Masterclass

24 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Seeking Stoic Change

Adiwana Svarga Loka

Join stoicism expert Brigid Delaney, author of The Seeker and the Sage, for lessons and practices to follow the path to stoicism while meeting change with readiness and acceptance. This is a practical guide by Brigid Delaney. Change is the only constant, and Stoicism offers a powerful framework to help you meet it...

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Masterclass

22 October 2026 | 09:30 - 12:00

Mastering English and the Art of Public Speaking

Black Garlic

Step into the spotlight and amplify your story. Designed specifically for this year's Emerging Writers Programme, this hands-on workshop will help you bridge the gap between the page and the stage. Writing a powerful manuscript is only half the journey, delivering it with confidence is what brings your story to life. Led...

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Masterclass

22 October 2026 | 08:00 - 10:00

Seni dan Teknik Penerjemahan Sastra

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre

The greatest challenge in translating fiction is capturing the author's soul without the result sounding stiff or mechanical. Rio Johan will guide participants through both the technical and aesthetic aspects of literary translation, including interpreting the tone of sentences, maintaining narrative rhythm, and...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 09:00 - 11:00

Seni, Politis, dan Konteks Penerjemahan

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre

Translation always grapples with what is lost and what survives when a text moves between languages. Together with Dhianita Kusuma Pertiwi, this session invites participants to explore what happens behind the scenes of translation, from handling tricky idioms and local conventions to the political decisions behind choosing...

Masterclass

24 October 2026 | 15:30 - 17:30

Menerjemahkan Fiksi dan Bacaan Anak

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre

A good translation usually doesn't feel like a translation. Through a more personal and intuitive approach, Reda Gaudiamo focuses on sensitivity to the feel of language, especially in narrative texts, children's literature, and popular fiction. Participants will be guided to train their ear and instinct, learning how to...

Writing Retreat | Masterclass

18 October 2026 | 09:30 - 15:00

A Three-day Intensive With Peter Godwin

Honeymoon Garden

Join an intimate writing retreat from Sunday, 18 October to Tuesday, 20 October 2026 with award-winning author Peter Godwin, who will lead readings, exercises, and discussions to help you sharpen your skills and refine your memoir.Award-winning author and journalist Peter Godwin has built an international reputation for writing...

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Writing Retreat | Masterclass

19 October 2026 | 09:30 - 16:30

Writing Asian Stories for the World with Xu Xi

Bar Luna

Write the story only you can tell. Xu Xi, an acclaimed Hong Kong writer and transnational author, teaches you how to craft Asian narratives that resonate universally. From Monday, 19 October through Tuesday, 20 October, you will discover the essential techniques for finding and refining your...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 12:00 - 14:00

What It Takes to Get Your Writing Published

MĀUA Olea Ubud

Join editors from the UK-based print quarterly Wasafiri for practical advice on finding and reaching an international audience with your writing. Whether you regularly publish in literary magazines or are an emerging writer/translator within the wider literary landscape, Deputy Editor Vamika Sinha and Digital and...

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Masterclass

24 October 2026 | 17:00 - 19:00

Responding to Samarasā: Witness to Action

Honeymoon Kitchen

This workshop is about what comes after the festival, taking your encounters with unfamiliar histories, voices, geographies and ways of seeing the world, and turning them into something lasting. We leave full of ideas and highlighted books, but in a world of constant information, how do we actually make sense of it...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 16:00 - 18:00

Through Each Other’s Eyes

Casa Luna

In a world of manosphere influencers, toxic masculinity, weaponised feminism, dating wars and algorithms turning gender conflict into content, what happens when we stop arguing and start writing towards each other? Author, poet, performer and community leader Carole Favre leads this workshop through playful, provocative...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Writing about the Environment

MetlandVenya Ubud

During times of uncertainty, we turn to creativity and communication to understand the issues at hand. Canadian geographer and author Adam Bobbette is one of the creative minds we can turn to, an award winner for his book The Pulse of the Earth, which explores the science of discovery, environment and humans. If...

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Masterclass

23 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Coming Home to My Inner Child

Bumi Kinar

Each one of us carries some kind of wound or trauma, an inner child that can feel separate, unloved and alone. Ignoring it does not end the suffering, it only prolongs it. This session, led by media professional Puneeta Roy, explores ways to connect with and embrace your inner child, offering conscious, loving attention to...

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Masterclass

22 October 2026 | 14:00 - 17:00

The Author in the Age of the Algorithm

Samsara Ubud

Join a masterclass with Chaitanya Srivastava, exploring how authors can build a meaningful presence online. In an increasingly crowded publishing landscape, writing the book is only one part of an author's journey, as readers discover, discuss and connect with books and writers across a vast digital ecosystem, from TikTok...

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Masterclass

24 October 2026 | 08:30 - 11:30

Photojournalism, Conflict, and the Future of Truth

MĀUA Olea Ubud

This masterclass is an examination of photojournalism as a practice, a profession, and an act of witness in a time of conflict and also societal and technological disruption. Mohammed Massoud Morsi will trace the evolution of photojournalism through different schools of thought, drawing on his own experience, and will also...

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Masterclass

25 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Cultivating Creative Processes

The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud

Where do ideas for writing come from? Is there magic to it? Do we wait around for inspiration? If that were the case, very little writing would see the light of day. Editors of The Markaz Review, Mai Al-Nakib and Jordan Elgrably offer practical tools writers can use to cultivate creativity in order to produce effective...

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Masterclass

25 October 2026 | 10:00 - 12:00

Short Story Writing with Yusi Avianto Pareanom

Samsara Ubud

Ready to master the short story? Designed for early-career writers, this focused workshop led by novelist Yusi Avianto Pareanom provides an opportunity to look closely at your work-in-progress, refine narrative structure, and develop a clearer authorial voice. Working alongside 2026 Festival Emerging Writers Programme...

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Masterclass

22 October 2026 | 12:00 - 14:00

Charcoal Drawing with Anne Spudvillas

SereS Springs Resort & Spa Singakerta

Join multi-award-winning Australian children's illustrator Anne Spudvilas to learn drawing techniques and creative processes while taking part in a guided charcoal drawing exercise. Anne has worked with Australia's leading authors on seventeen picture books, and in her first solo book, Swan Lake, she adapted...

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this year’s lineup brings together a cosmic combination of literary stars to explore the transformative power of storytelling.

Festival

All Speakers

Cultural Workshop

25 October 2026 | 10:00 - 11:00

Writing Bali's Ancient Script on Lontar

Puri Kantor

Step into the ancient tradition of Balinese manuscript writing in this hands-on workshop at Puri Kantor Ubud. You will be introduced to the basics of Balinese script, known as Aksara Bali, and learn to write your own name, words or a short phrase onto lontar palm leaves, using the very same techniques once used to create...

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Cultural Workshop

24 October 2026 | 08:00 - 12:00

Sukawati Market Food Stories

Indus Restaurant (Meeting Point)

Beyond Sukawati's famous art market lies a humble world of everyday Balinese life, where local markets, traditional kitchens and time-honoured recipes tell stories of generations past. This culinary journey begins with crispy kerupuk tahu at a local market, before taking you behind the scenes to learn the traditional craft...

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Cultural Workshop

23 October 2026 | 14:30 - 16:00

Hands-On Tie-Dye with Threads of Life

Threads of Life Natural Dye Studio

Discover the expressive art of tie-dye in this hands-on workshop with Threads of Life. Begin with an introduction to their natural dye studio and a tour through the dye plant garden, learning about Indonesia's traditional botanical dyes. Then, guided by expert instructors, you'll create your own unique pieces using a range...

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Cultural Workshop

24 October 2026 | 08:30 - 10:30

Bahasa Indonesia Breakfast

Dharma Kula

Kick off your morning with an Indonesian language masterclass over a delicious breakfast. Led by Indonesian language expert Ivan Lanin and the Cinta Bahasa Indonesian Language School, this exclusive session explores everyday phrases and cultural insights before delving into modern Indonesian syntax, vocabulary and...

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Cultural Workshop

23 October 2026 | 08:30 - 09:30

Bahasa Bali Breakfast

Dharma Kula

Start your festival day with a light breakfast and a fun, interactive Balinese language lesson, guided by an expert teacher from Cinta Bahasa. Learn essential Balinese phrases and discover authentic cultural insights in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Whether you're a Bahasa Bali beginner or simply a curious mind, this...

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Cultural Workshop

22 October 2026 | 15:00 - 17:00

The Practice of Ritual Preparation

Puri Kantor

Discover metaki-taki, the Balinese practice of preparing oneself and one's offerings with mindfulness before a sacred ritual. This immersive cultural workshop invites you to slow down and prepare with intention: learning how to properly wear Balinese attire, making offerings known as canang sari, and...

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Cultural Workshop

22 October 2026 | 14:00 - 15:30

The Art of Watercolour

Bumi Kinar

Clear your mind and let your creativity flow. Join Watercolour Painting with Andini Judianto where you will learn easy watercolor tricks, learn how to control the brush, blend soft washes and paint with total confidence. Enjoy the beautiful location of Bumi Kinar, sip some coffee or tea and discover the joy of...

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Cultural Workshop

22 October 2026 | 06:00 - 08:30

Culinary Jalan-Jalan

Casa Luna

Start the day by following Ubud's flavours through its bustling streets and beloved local eateries. This culinary walking tour takes you from the legendary babi guling at Ibu Oka, known for its crisp skin and tender meat, to the rich, aromatic ayam betutu at Pak Sanur. Along the way, you'll discover the...

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Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 09:30 - 10:30

Our Home is not an Empty Wasteland

Rumah Kayu

The following three book launches are presented by Greenpeace Indonesia:Scars of the Small IslandsThis story follows Pin, a child of Raja Ampat, who spends her days among small, stunning islands with her parents and her best friend Ruga...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 13:00 - 14:00

Finnegan

NARI - Fire Influenced Bistro

This book follows Captain Bligh's second breadfruit mission, this time carrying a mysterious Tahitian stowaway tasked with keeping the plantlings alive, a man whose obituary strangely appears in Jamaica's Royal Gazette within months of his arrival. Set against Jamaica in 1792, as the Apprenticeship system ends and the...

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Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 15:00 - 16:00

Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati: The Prince Who Took Bali to the World

Puri Kantor Ubud

This book traces the life of Tjokorda Gde Raka Soekawati, a Balinese prince born in Ubud in 1899, caught between the traditions of his kingdom and a world reshaped by Dutch colonial rule. It follows his rise as punggawa of Ubud and member of the Volksraad in Batavia, and his role as a cultural bridge-builder who helped...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 10:45 - 11:45

Whispers of The Shadow

Rumah Kayu

This book invites readers, young and old, to rediscover childhood as a treasure trove of joyful memories, gems we carry with us, ready to light up even our darkest days. Through meaningful stories and stunning illustrations, it uncovers the hidden gem within each of us, wrapping readers in a warm embrace of nostalgia and...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 17:00 - 18:00

Menjahit Retakan Sejarah

Rumah Kayu

This book marks a shift in Oka Rusmini's artistic voice, moving from explosive expression toward a more contemplative and restrained form. Where her earlier work foregrounded open protest against custom and patriarchy, this collection instead works through the archiving of memory, weaving the trauma of 1965 survivors into...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 12:00 - 13:00

The Tiger Man’s Daughter

Rumah Kayu

This is the story of Laura, a young woman from Florence who, like so many dreamers of her generation, travels to the heart of Africa in search of an authentic life, far from the hypocrisies of the modern world. There she meets Laconi, a young Indonesian dressed like a prince, with piercing eyes that belong to the wild, and...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 12:00 - 13:00

Derita Sudah Naik Seleher

Rumah Kayu

This complete collection of poems draws together works scattered across books, zines, bulletins, and notes from a fugitive period, long fragmented and now, for the first time, gathered as a whole. It grew from a handwritten testament dated 1987, in which the poet granted permission for his words to be collected, and took...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:00

Balinese Dance in Transition: Kaja & Kelod

Di Sini Di Sana by Rachman & Sons

Kaja and Kelod is as relevant today as it was when first published by Oxford in Asia in 1981, the first book on the subject written by a Balinese author, offering a broad and well-organised perspective as well as the fundamentals and details for both scholars and laymen. It celebrates the eightieth decade of...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 11:00 - 12:00

Labirin Cromboloni

Cucu Betutu

What if a single pastry could make you think about life? This book wanders through the small, ordinary moments that quietly shape us, a trip to another city, a cup of coffee, an emoji, a friendship, a heartbreak, and turns them into invitations to pause and reflect. The cromboloni becomes its guiding metaphor: layer upon...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 17:45 - 18:45

Festival Anthology: Stories From The Islands 2026

Indus Restaurant

This Festival anthology, Stories From the Islands, brings together ten emerging Indonesian writers, selected through its 2026 Emerging Writers Programme, exploring lives suspended between inheritance and change across Indonesia's thousands of islands. A grandmother's folktales echo through generations; ancient...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 17:00 - 18:00

Blitar Magic Garage

Rumah Kayu

This book follows Munin, a former political prisoner, who runs Blitar Magic Garage in Setiabudi, a makeshift settlement in central Jakarta. When whispers of redevelopment threaten the fragile balance of the neighbourhood, Munin and his neighbours are forced to confront a dark web of corruption, greed and political...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 15:45 - 16:45

Into Oblivion

Rumah Kayu

This book opens with a fragile, thousand-year peace between dragons and leviathans now faltering, as the leviathan queen challenges the dragons' dynastic supremacy, fomenting unrest and dealing with dark forces, while Black Corruption, an oozing shadow not seen since the Cataclysmic War, spreads once more across the land....

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 13:15 - 14:15

Anak Bajang: Herds the Wind

Rumah Kayu

Before the age of men, sage Wisrawa journeyed to the kingdom of Alengka for his son – to seek the hand of Princess Sukesi. However, upon seeing the princess his passion overwhelmed his wisdom. In a forbidden union, it unleashed a cosmic imbalance that shook the heavens. Cursed by the gods, exiled from their kingdoms and...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 10:45 - 11:45

Bali Today! and Bali Times, Rites, Art & Magic

Rumah Kayu

Two books by Jean Couteau offering distinct yet complementary perspectives on Bali. Bali Today! presents a candid and witty portrait of everyday Balinese life, exploring society, religion, family, and the tensions between tradition and modernity. Bali Times, Rites, Art & Magic, co-authored with...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 17:00 - 18:30

My Heart Didn't Mean It

Casa Luna

This is the story of how a Midwestern woman from rural Nebraska met and married an Indonesian jungle explorer, a tale for those who believe in the goodness of the universe, God, the Gods, Destiny and Love, and perhaps even more for those who do not. It follows a curious adventure of choosing why not instead of...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 15:45 - 16:45

Bali OK

Rumah Kayu

Bali OK offers a much-needed, non-dystopian exploration of climate change. In the year 2037, as the world heats up, Deborah, an American butterfly expert, learns that butterflies on Bali have apparently escaped the impacts of climate change. At the same time, on the other side of the world, Wayan, a Balinese...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 16:00 - 17:00

Conscious Completion

Pedro Coffee

Conscious Completion follows Christo Barnard, an attorney and mediator, as he walks the ancient pilgrimage route of the Camino de Santiago, reflecting on death, divorce, love, forgiveness, and the quiet process of returning to authenticity. Rather than treating endings as failure, the book explores what happens...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 15:00 - 16:00

Player: Life X

DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons

A warm-hearted robot inside a reality simulation called "Life X," a life-game resembling contemporary Earth, receives the most complex mission it has ever been given: to play a human avatar named Sugi and rediscover his Life Purpose within the Battlefield. From the start, Sugi is trapped by the mistaken belief that success...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 12:45 - 13:45

Thank You For Your Love

ÂME Ubud Bistro & Coffee

This memoir tells the story of a young woman who grows up carrying an unnamed sadness long before she has the language to understand it, exploring universal themes of trauma, attachment, grief, sexuality, motherhood, and the ways women learn to survive by becoming psychologically invisible. It opens with the death of the...

Book Launch

22 October 2026 | 18:15 - 19:15

What If God Overdosed Us With Love?

Rumah Kayu

This collection of poems inhabits the thin border between affection and overdose, where intimacy turns chemical, spiritual, almost fatal. Love here is never clean; it stains, alters, consumes. Couples become mirrors, each carrying the other's fractures, addiction the desire to stay close to what keeps us alive. Beneath it...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 09:30 - 10:30

Setiap Hari, Hari ini

Rumah Kayu

In an unexpected encounter, Adrian Hardikara is reunited with Inira Dilona, a famous Indonesian actress who has become the brand ambassador for his beer brand. Unbeknown to him, Inira has returned with one purpose: to win back the heart she shattered eight years ago, because she knows she does not have much time...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 13:00 - 14:00

Our Weapon is The Traditional Ritual

Threads of Life

Our Weapons Are Traditional Ceremonies brings together the voices of five Nausus, women long marginalised for their traditional knowledge, fighting for their homelands and standing on the front lines against environmental destruction and the seizure of communities' living spaces, while working to restore nature....

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 14:30 - 15:30

Broken Horses

Rumah Kayu

Broken Horses is an epic and personal story of female agency, set in the remote colonial world of 1920s Southern Patagonia. Georgie Carruthers breaks off her engagement with her wounded fiancé in the aftermath of the Great War, and racked with guilt, crosses the ocean to take up a post as governess to a motherless...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 16:00 - 17:00

Dasuatika

Shelter Island

Dasuatika is a bilingual graphic novel spanning over a decade of real life, following a boy as he becomes a man, unmade by grief as he loses his mother, his wife, and custody of his daughter. In the wreckage, he does what he has always done when the world turns quiet: he builds, creating a toy store where broken...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 13:15 - 14:15

Stories and Images of a Changing Climate

Rumah Kayu

This book launch features two bilingual books, 200 Voices, One Climate Story and Through the Lens: Stories of Climate and Sustainability, presented through readings, visual works, and conversation, bringing together more than 250 contributors from across Indonesia who respond to climate change through...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 14:30 - 15:30

Flying for Our Freedom

Rumah Kayu

Flying For Our Freedom is the story of Petit Muharto Kartodirdjo, who as a child in 1930s East Java was fascinated by the planes he glimpsed above his home, never dreaming he would one day fly one for his nation, and Bobby Freeberg, a former U.S. Navy pilot from Kansas who chose to fly for the Indonesian Republic...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 15:00 - 16:00

Depai si Detektif Tupai

The Elephant

This is a whimsical detective adventure in which Depai the detective squirrel is back in action. When Depai receives a letter from King Ongis, who has fallen ill, he invites Mipung the cat to join him in investigating the cause of the King's mysterious illness, and together they journey through the Purwa Forest, solving...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 17:00 - 18:00

Telanjang Kaki

Powder Room by R4D

Telanjang Kaki: Poor Privilege Life from a Poverty Graduate explores the paradox of "poor privilege," a concept resonating with those who have risen from humble beginnings to navigate life's challenges with unique grit, inviting readers into a life marked by resilience, heartbreak, and the relentless pursuit of...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 18:15 - 19:15

Yang Mulia

Rumah Kayu

The Majesties is a story of two sisters from a wealthy Chinese-Indonesian family who grapple with secrets and betrayal after one sister poisons their entire family. Gwendolyn and Estella grew up close, relying on each other within a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful world. But now Gwendolyn lies in a coma,...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 09:30 - 10:30

The Forgotten Words That Saved the World

Rumah Kayu

The Forgotten Words That Saved the World is a magical adventure for readers aged 7 to 9, following bickering siblings Thomas and Alexandra as they discover a hidden realm tucked behind their garden hedge. At first they are delighted, enjoying a place where steaming baos grow on trees and leaves taste like...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 10:45 - 11:45

Rebel Ma

Rumah Kayu

This anthology shares soul-awakening stories of grace, grief, war, peace, love and loss, each voice summoning remembrance, resistance and renewal. It walks between worlds, between what was and what can be, reminding us that we do not get to choose the times we live in, but we do get to choose who we become in them, holding...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 14:30 - 15:30

Soto Otak

Rumah Kayu

People with mental conditions, called as ODGJ, have rarely been treated as a major issue, struggling to attract attention from human rights advocates. Some conditions are visible while others go unseen, their cries for help suppressed and ignored; poverty and hostile environments leave many cast aside, confined, and even...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 15:00 - 16:00

Pingkan Matindas

The Elephant

This story is set against the brutal backdrop of 16th-century North Sulawesi, long before the shadow of the VOC, the Dutch trading company that would later colonize the region, reached Indonesian shores. Pingkan Matindas is a legendary epic of devotion amidst tribal chaos. In an era defined by greed and relentless...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 15:45 - 16:45

Night Before Nyepi

Rumah Kayu

Night Before Nyepi is a poem inspired by the Balinese people and the pride they take in their traditions. It offers a window into the author's gratitude and admiration for their Balinese community. It also serves as a reminder that our experience of time is shaped by how present and aware we choose to be as we...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 13:15 - 14:15

The Art of Doing Less and Living More

Rumah Kayu

This is the story of Aditi's journey from burnout and self-abandonment towards inner alignment, a deeply personal and timely exploration of the courage it takes to begin again. After experiencing the quiet unravelling that so often accompanies burnout, she confronts the ways she has been living out of sync with herself:...

Book Launch

23 October 2026 | 12:00 - 13:00

The Lost Bird

Rumah Kayu

This is the story of Kiki, who is always getting lost, whether amid crowded ceremonies or sprawling rice fields, she simply can't find her way home. When she decides to follow her friends to the big city for adventure, against her parents' wishes, will Kiki find the fun and freedom she craves, or become so lost she can't...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 13:15 - 14:15

Patterns

DI SINI DI SANA by Rachman & Sons

In an era of data and information overload, this huge amount of information can either overwhelm us or offer valuable insights to support our decision-making. Drawing on the author's academic and professional experience of over ten years working with data, this book offers an insightful look at our world today through the...

Book Launch

25 October 2026 | 13:30 - 14:30

Bali Harmony

Dharma Kula

Inspired by Bali's philosophy of harmony, Tri Hita Karana, this is an invitation to pause, reflect and reconnect, with nature, with others, and with something greater than ourselves. Through 40 charming, hand-drawn illustrations, readers are taken on a gentle journey across the island, walking through rice fields at...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 15:45 - 16:45

Jia the Storykeeper

Rumah Kayu

This is the story of eight-year-old Jia, who, on a rainy afternoon at her grandfather's home, discovers a weathered family journal tucked away in an old drawer, filled with stories written by her elders. As she turns its pages, it seems to come alive: she meets a great-grandmother who was a master of needlecraft and...

Book Launch

24 October 2026 | 12:00 - 13:00

What Flavor Is Your Bliss?

Rumah Kayu

A fun, and sometimes out-there, companion for spiritual seekers, this book explores bliss as the most loving, fulfilling and peaceful thing we can experience, one that reveals who we are and our connection to other people, the earth and divine beings. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for this deeply personal journey,...

Join us for compelling, challenging, and honest discussions, guided by our 2026 Festival theme: Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.

The four-day programme will be guided by the theme Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action., which comes from 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.

We explore the forces that shape us to find a perfect balance of awareness, empathy, and action. From the technological to the spiritual, the personal, and the environmental, we trace the cycles of our existence, not just to understand where we have been, but to guide humanity toward where we must go: a future defined by compassionate response.

We are also thrilled to reveal this year’s artwork by Balinese artist Wayan Aris Sarmanta, a young talent whose work originates from his hometown’s Batuan painting style.

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