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Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati Founded in 2003, the Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati is an independent, not-for-profit foundation committed to enriching the livelihoods of young Indonesians through the development of a range of community-building arts and cultural programs. It was founded by Janet DeNeefe and Ketut Suardana as a healing project in response to the first Bali bombings in 2002.
A Message from Our Founder & Director
Janet DeNeefe Fourteen years ago, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was born as a healing initiative, at a time when the community was suffering the devastating impacts of the 2002 Bali bombings. In 2017, amidst the threat of Mount Agung erupting, the Festival once again affirmed its role in the Balinese and Indonesian community – helping to unite people in times of struggle and bringing a muchneeded boost to the local economy.
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To the audiences and artists who joined us for the 14th Ubud Writers & Readers Festival from 25–29 October, I applaud your bravery, your solidarity and your support. It is a testament to the Indonesian and international artistic community that – even amongst times of turmoil – the Festival continues to thrive and indeed, becomes even stronger. Across the Festival’s five days, the overwhelming message was one of hope: that we can and will seize the power to create positive change. Whether environmental or ethical, political or personal, it was a message of optimism that reverberated through the ideas, discussions and stories that the Festival is renowned for. As ever, we look forward, not back, to the challenges and opportunities that await us, not just as a Festival but as a family and a community.
The primary goal of the Foundation is to give full expression to the creative needs of Indonesia, its individuals, and its communities, while simultaneously showcasing the diversity and rich cultural traditions of the archipelago to the world. Creating an ongoing space for crosscultural exchange, and open-minded dialogue and exploration, lies at the heart of the Foundation. It achieves this through its two core initiatives: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and Ubud Food Festival. Through these Festivals, programs, and associated activities, the Foundation promotes Ubud as a center for arts and culture, showcases the artists, writers and producers of Indonesia on the international stage, and helps Indonesians to reach their potential through educational and capacity-building programs.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Launched in 2003, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is Southeast Asia’s most celebrated literary and artistic event. The mission of the UWRF is to create a worldclass festival that celebrates extraordinary stories, amplifies brave voices, and tackles global issues through open dialogue and cross-cultural exchange. The Festival is proud of its continuing success in bringing Indonesian and international writers and audiences together on the world stage.
Support Us The Festivals rely on the support of patrons, donors, partners, and audiences each year. In 2018, new opportunities will be available to reach our broad and diverse Festival audiences across Indonesia and the globe. Your patronage will play a central role in ensuring the Foundation succeeds in its goal of enriching the lives and livelihoods of Indonesians, and promoting the wealth of Indonesian cultures and communities to the world.
Contact our Partnership Team today to explore opportunities.
Saraswati Ratnanggana
Partnership Manager e: saras@yayasansaraswati.org m: +62 815 1612 116 UWRF17 Partnership Report
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Festival Summary From October 25–29 2017, the 14th Ubud Writers & Readers Festival descended on Bali and brought the island to life. With 200+ events held across 40+ venues and with 180+ artists, authors, thinkers and performers from 33 countries, the Festival’s five-day program spanned in-depth panel discussions, intimate special events, hands-on workshops, electric after dark performances, cooking demonstrations, films, yoga and much more. A not-for-profit initiative designed to enrich the lives of young Indonesians, the Festival was proud to present 40% of the program completely free of charge. The Festival also celebrated the relaunch of the Emerging Voices professional pathways program, specifically aimed at young Indonesian creatives pursuing a career in the arts.
Theme In 2017, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was explored through the lens of the theme, ‘Origins’. The theme – drawn from the Hindu philosophy ‘Sangkan Paraning Dumadi’ – speaks of our eternal connection to where we have come from, and to where we will ultimately return. “At a time of global unrest and political turmoil, ‘Origins’ invited us to consider the biggest picture – to contemplate not just our connections from person to person, but as a collective humanity extending across people, the planet and periods of time,” explains Festival Founder & Director, Janet DeNeefe. Across the Festival’s five-day program, the theme unfolded the powerful movements which have influenced and continue to shape the world – from the political to the technological, environmental to spiritual – and their cyclical manifestations throughout our existence. It challenged audiences to consider the origins of the elements that shape us, the things we carry with us through life, and the things that draw us back. “By cultivating a universal perspective and shifting away from the cult of the individual, we instil in our Festival audiences the possibility of truly affirmative action,” continued DeNeefe. “If we are no longer constrained by our individual perspectives, what are our responsibilities, and what is within our power to achieve together?”
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2017 Highlights •
The Festival’s most culturally diverse line-up of authors, artists, thinkers and performers yet, representing 33 countries from across the globe
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The launch of the Emerging Writers Patron Program, as part of the Festival’s annual Bilingual Anthology of Indonesian Writing
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A stellar line up of leading authors and artists, including Ian Rankin, Simon Winchester, Jung Chang, Madeleine Thein, Pierre Coffin, Nh. Dini, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, Leila S. Chudori and many more
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The return of the Emerging Voices professional pathways program, a free workshop series targeted at aspiring young creatives conducted in Indonesian
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•
A fundraising evening for relief efforts for those affected by Mount Agung, with proceeds totalling AUD $1,500 donated to Indonesian NGO Kopernik
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A post-Festival literary cruise featuring former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery and memoirist Kate Holden, sailing for five days through the Komodo Islands
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An electric After Dark program featuring some of Indonesia’s most celebrated performers, including Papermoon Puppet Theatre, Eko Supriyanto, Voice of Baceprot and Bonita and the Hus Band
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The successful delivery of the Festival’s Satellite Program, taking the UWRF on the road to Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo and Jakarta.
The presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Indonesia’s first feminist author, Ibu Nh. Dini
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Authors, Artists and Performers From Indonesia to Iran, Canada to South Korea, the Philippines to Pakistan and dozens of countries in between, the Festival’s line-up for 2017 featured its most diverse array of speakers than ever before.
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Ian Rankin
Madeleine Thien
Marina Mahathir
Nh. Dini
Pierre Coffin
Simon Winchester
Jung Chang
Joko Pinurbo
Simon Armitage
Tim Flannery
Oka Rusmini
Trinity
Ana Luísa Amaral
Shokoofeh Azar
Sholeh Wolpé
Héctor Abad
Carmen Boullosa
Sergio Chejfec
Bringing together 180+ of the world’s leading authors, artists, thinkers and performers from 33 countries across the world, the Festival once again affirmed its position as a leading platform for global dialogue and cross-cultural exchange.
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Emerging Writers Program Each year, we put a call out across the archipelago to emerging writers: send us your stories. After receiving hundreds of submissions, an independent curatorial board is tasked with selecting 15 aspiring novelists, poets and playwrights from across Indonesia’s bustling cities and remote islands. Once selected, the emerging writers are then supported by the Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati and our Emerging Writers Patrons to fly to Bali and launch the annual Anthology in front of Indonesian and international audiences at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. A bilingual publication, the Anthology also represents a huge opportunity for emerging writers to have their work translated into English, opening the door to international opportunities for the first time. In an ongoing partnership with the Emerging Writers’ Festival, one of these writers is then selected to present at this dynamic showcase of Australia’s rising stars, and flown to Melbourne to take part in the program.
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2017 Emerging Writers Selected from over 900 submissions, the work of this year’s UWRF Emerging Writers is a rich insight into Indonesian language, culture, history and mythology. With many of the submissions relating to the writer’s locality, it is a rare window into some of the archipelago’s little-known regions.
Congratulations to our 2017 Emerging Writers:
Abdul Azis Rasjid
Ade Ubaidil
Nabil Wibisana
Aksan Taqwin Embe
Bayu Pratama
Erich Langobelen
Ibe S. Palogai
I Putu Supartika
M. Isa Gautama
Morika Tetelapta
Subhan
Na’imatur Rofiqoh
Rahmat Hidayat
Rizki Amir
Taufiqurrahman
Seruni Unie
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Program at a Glance Spanning 200+ events across 40+ venues in Ubud and beyond, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival program brought the island of Bali to life. Explored through the lens of the theme ‘Origins’, or ‘Sangkan
5
DAYS
40+
VENUES IN AND AROUND UBUD
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WORKSHOPS
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Paraning Dumadi’, the Festival’s program challenged audiences to consider their responsibilities to people and the planet across periods of time.
200+ EVENTS
72
MAIN PROGRAM SESSIONS
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CULTURAL WORKSHOPS
180+
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12
SPEAKERS
BOOK LAUNCHES
FESTIVAL CLUB @ BAR LUNA EVENTS
12
9
11
SPECIAL EVENTS
4 EMERGING VOICE EVENTS
CHILDREN & YOUTH EVENTS
8
FILM SCREENINGS
8
ART EXHIBITS
6
KITCHEN EVENTS
FRINGE EVENTS
7
40% 60%
AFTER DARK EVENTS
FREE
TICKETED
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Program Feedback Main Program
93.5% IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
Live Music & Arts
80.9%
From intimate in-conversations between leading authors, artists, thinkers and performers, to fiery debates on some of the world’s most pressing issues, the Festival’s Main Program spanned 72 sessions across four days
IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
Special Events
Book Launches
From intimate literary lunches to walking tours through Ubud’s iconic rice fields with acclaimed authors as the guide, the Festival’s Special Events took place at various restaurants and resorts across Ubud.
Held across some of Ubud’s most beautiful venues, the Festival’s Book Launches introduced audiences to writers both emerging and established.
84.2% IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
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76.3%
Designed to elevate your literary abilities, our Workshop series was conducted by some of the Festival’s most dynamic authors, artists, thinkers and performers in various venues across Ubud.
IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
As part of the Yayasan’s mission of supporting young Indonesians to pursue a career in the arts, the free Emerging Voices program was held daily in Bahasa Indonesia, and featured some of the archipelago’s most talented artists, authors and performers.
The Kitchen
Film Screenings The Festival’s free Film Program showcased the best of Indonesia’s and Asia’s cinematic productions, with many sessions including a Q&A with authors, actors and directors.
70.0%
Emerging Voices
Workshops
70.0%
Across five days, the Festival hosted an eclectic live music and arts program showcasing electrifying local and international talent.
77.3% IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
Held at Toko Toko and led by the island’s best chefs, the Kitchen Program celebrated Indonesian culinary heritage and cultural identity to enrich the Festival experience.
75.0% IMPRESSED/ VERY IMPRESSED
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Ticket Sales 2016 vs 2017
Audience Attendance & Ticketing Despite facing significant challenges, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival celebrated a strong year of audience attendance in 2017, with ticket sales remaining high despite an estimated 30% drop in tourism to the island during the month of October. Indeed, the number of tickets sold across the Festival’s 200+ events rose by 4% from 2016, totaling 2,708. Across the Festival’s program genres, the percentage of tickets sold against capacity averaged 80.7%, an indicator
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of the quality and relevance of events on offer. Highlights included the soldout Children & Youth program, an 85% sold-out Workshops program, and an increase in Early Bird 4-Day Main Program ticket sales by 40% from 2016. Also notable was the representation of Indonesian ticket-holders at the Main Program, representing 42% and 38% of 4-Day and 1-Day passes respectively. This cements the Festival’s position as Indonesia’s leading literary and artistic event and our valued audience diversity.
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Audience at a Glance With an estimated audience attendance of 25,000 across the Festival’s five days in 2017, the Festival continues to be a regional powerhouse and a global platform for discussion and debate. Southeast Asia’s most celebrated literary and artistic event, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival attracts audiences from across Indonesia and the globe, with 33% of audiences travelling from within Indonesia, 56% travelling from Australia and New Zealand, and 11% travelling from other corners of the globe, including Asia,
Audience Attendance
Gender
Europe, Africa, the United States and the United Kingdom. The Festival also prides itself in age diversity, with over 20% of surveyed audiences in the 18-34 age group, and 19% represented by 35-50-year-olds. This data is not representative of the Festival’s hugely popular free After Dark program among the younger, local demographic. The appeal of the program for younger audiences only continues to grow.
across the Festival’s five days
85% Annual Income Bracket
23%
20%
35-50 51-64 65+
19%
38%
5%
$41,000-60,000 AUD
$80,000-$100,000 AUD
13%
$100,000 AUD+
Nationality Australia
56%
$26,000-$40,000 AUD
$61,000-$80,000 AUD
19%
Asia
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29%
11%
2%2% 2%
33%
>$25,00 AUD
13%
Indonesia
18
15%
18-34
Place of Residence Simon Winchester
Male
25,000
Age
“Ten years ago, my audiences tended to be elderly white people. But it’s no longer the case. The audiences are getting younger, and that’s very encouraging. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is more intimate, it’s younger, it’s multicultural, and it’s set in the most extraordinary backdrop. So I couldn’t be happier.”
Female
15%
5% 6%
4%
USA/Canada Europe Africa
19%
3% 2% Australia/New Zealand Indonesia USA/Canada
61%
Asia Europe UK Africa
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New or Returning Audiences
44%
New Returning
Travelled to Ubud specifically for the Festival
15%
56%
Yes No
85%
Length of stay
Activities enjoyed during stay
5% 2%
30%
8+ Days 6-7 Days 4-5 Days
35%
24%
With 44% of surveyed audiences attending the Festival for the first time in 2017, and 85% travelling to Ubud specifically for the event, our role in attracting new visitors to the island and the village has once again been solidified. As well as attending the Festival, audiences enjoyed the wide variety
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of activities on offer in Ubud, injecting an estimated AUD $1,000,000 into the local economy through spending on accommodation, transport and food. Plus, with a staggering 98% of audiences saying they would attend the Festival again, the future of the event is only destined to grow.
1 Day
% 43
33% Amount spent per day 13%
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49%
19 %
Audience in Ubud
2-3 Days
51% 45%
Culinary Experiences Shopping Spa Treatments Cultural Activities Museums, Galleries & Landmarks Outdoor Activities
72%
Yoga or Spiritual Activities
Would you attend the UWRF again?
$30,000-$64,000AUD $65,000-$99,000AUD
26%
%
33%
$100,000-$149,000AUD $150,000+AUD
98%
would attend the Festival again
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Partners and Supporters The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is enormously proud of its 2017 partners and supporters, without whom the Festival would not have been possible. The support received was crucial to the creation of another successful Festival, as well as achieving the broader goals of the Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati. Support covered all aspects of the Festival, including (but not limited to) production overheads, venue support, cultural and arts program events, author attendance and accommodation, media coverage, and areas of in-kind and monetary support.
We were delighted to have a significant numbers of local Bali and Ubud-based businesses choose to partner, support, and collaborate with the Festival this year. These partnerships further strengthened our commitment as a foundation to empower local Balinese and Indonesian communities through the creation of a collaborative and inclusive environment. The Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati would like to offer thanks to all our 2017 Festival partners and supporters, and we look forward to future partnerships and collaborations, as well as welcoming new members to our Festival Family.
100%
of partners feel they received appropriate recognition of their support / sponsorship
88%
of partners want to partner with UWRF again in 2018
79%
of partners said that UWRF 2017 met their objectives within the partnership
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Festival Communications With a strategic communications campaign spanning national and international audiences, the Ubud
Writers & Readers Festival is well and truly in the global spotlight, reaching billions of people across the planet.
Featuring the custom artwork of Balinese artist Kuncir Sathya Viku, the Festival’s 2017 branding was a tribute to the theme ‘Origins’, or ‘Sangkan Paraning Dumadi’. It represented the eternal connection to the mother, both physical and planetary, and mother nature as the giver of life and all things.
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Advertising During the campaign, the island of Bali is brought to life with beautiful, eye-catching Festival branding. From posters to printed advertisements, postcards to the program book, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was promoted through:
500 posters, distributed across Ubud 100 umbul-umbul at Festival venues and event locations
100 x-banners at Festival venues and event locations
5,000 program books, distributed
to 300+ venues across Ubud, Bali and Jakarta
6 billboards and baliho, displayed in
5,000 postcards, distributed across Bali
45 advertisements across printed and
and Indonesia
Ubud Center, Sanur and Seminyak
digital media
12,500 flyers, distributed to 300+
venues across Ubud, Bali and Jakarta
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Merchandise
Social Media Across 2017, the Festival recorded significant growth across key indicators, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and E-news. Through the Festival’s Facebook campaign alone, 200 million people were reached through paid and organic content.
Competitions and Cross-Promotion In partnership with Festival partners and stakeholders, the Festival was proud to deliver a range of initiatives to drive audience engagement. •
In partnership with Crikey, an internationally-focused competition including return airfares, accommodation and Festival tickets
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In partnership with The Wheeler Centre, an internationally-focused competition including return airfares, accommodation and Festival tickets
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In partnership with Citilink and Harper’s Bazaar, a nationally-focused competition including return airfares and Festival tickets
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In partnership with the Australasian Association of Writing Programs (AAWP), an emerging writers prize including return airfares, accommodation and Festival tickets
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In partnership with Kill Your Darlings and Overland, competitions including Festival tickets
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In collaboration with 14 stakeholders including Sydney Writers Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival and OzAsia Festival, advertising crosspromotion reaching audiences of up to 400,000 people
74.4K Website visitors 10.9K Instagram followers, an increase
870 T-SHIRTS
of 48.1% from 2016
28.4K Facebook followers, an increase of 9% from 2016
13.1K E-News subscribers, an increase of 7.7% from 2016
12.8K Twitter followers, an increase of 7.7% from 2016
500 Festival app users on Google Play and iTunes
1,250 TOTE BAGS
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National Media
Media Partnerships
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181 news articles across print, digital, TV and radio
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AUD $263,000 of advertising and editorial value
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2,000,000,000+ audience outreach through editorial coverage
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99 editorial placements and advertisements across major news outlets
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26 journalists on the ground at the event, including CNN Indonesia, CNN TV, Harian Kompas, Majalah Tempo, NET TV, and Radar Bali
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Partnership with major outlets including The Guardian Australia, Kompas, BBC Indonesia, Southeast Asia Globe, DestinAsian Indonesia, Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia, Esquire, VICE, traveletc, City Nomads, whiteboardjournal.com, Rappler Indonesia.
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36 interviews on the ground between journalists and speakers
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Coverage in CNN Indonesia, CNN TV, Harian Kompas, Kompas.com, Tempo. co, Liputan6.com, Detik.com, Majalah Tempo, NET TV, and Radar Bali
International Media
Media The Festival’s campaign is underpinned by an extensive national and international media strategy, targeting audiences from across Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Australia and the globe. Through organic media coverage and partnership with leading news outlets, the Festival’s outreach in 2017 reached potential audiences of 2,160,000,000+ people through editorial coverage alone. On the ground at the event, the Festival
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•
93 news articles across print, digital, TV and radio
•
160,000,000+ audience outreach through editorial coverage
•
33 journalists on the ground at the event, including Harper’s Bazaar Brazil, South China Morning Post and The Australian
•
114 interviews on the ground between journalists and speakers
•
Coverage in Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, SBS Australia, Escape (news.com.au), South China Morning Post, Asian Correspondent, and The Times
also welcomed 50+ journalists, who conducted a total of 150 interviews with speakers over the course of the Festival. Through media partnerships valued at AUD $236,000, including with internationally-renowned outlets The Guardian and BBC, the Festival placed 99 printed and digital advertisements and editorial in the lead-up, during and after the event.
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Feedback Speakers
Partners
“Fantastic! The variety of the program, the warmth of the hospitality and the beauty of the location made the festival an altogether delightful experience.” – Fuchsia Dunlop “I don’t think I’ve ever had a more diverse and fascinating experience out of a writers’ festival – I can see why people rave about UWRF.” – Jock Serong “Bali alone is a dream destination. Together with the Ubud Writers & Reader Festival: unbeatable.” – Brigitte Schär
“So warm, welcoming and friendly.”
– Shokoofeh Azar
“The literary festival in paradise!”
– Lijia Zhang
“I came to UWRF excited to participate in the diverse events and I came home encouraged to write more because the Festival showed me that it does matter. Our writing matters to a larger community that wants to make the world a better place through literature.” – Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz
Audiences “The variety of authors was amazing. I loved listening to such well-spoken, educated and informed speakers. The panels always left me wanting more – so many interesting topics were raised but there was never enough time to explore each further.”
“UWRF is a very unique platform founded with a genuine purpose to give back to the Balinese community by bringing out Bali spirit of peace, art-culture and its diversity, to the global audience.” “We are very much interested in forging a good and long relationship with UWRF in the coming years.” “The Festival is great for Ubud, indeed great for Bali. From my experience, it is important to support the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, for the greater benefit of Bali.” “Thank you to all the hard-working people involved with the Festival. It is great for Ubud and Bali because of you all. Long live the UWRF!”
“I loved the diversity of the program – there was literally something for everyone. I got out of my comfort zone and read authors and genres I might never have discovered otherwise.” “The UWRF is always an engaging celebration of literature. I enjoy new people and engaging in debate as well as immersing oneself in a variety of cultural events.” “The speakers – absolutely fantastic.”
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“Thank you so much for the inspiration and intellectual content of the program, it has made a very positive influence to my life. I look forward to the Festival every year.”
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