FESTIVAL SUMMARY

The 2022 Festival Edition shared extraordinary stories and bold ideas through the lens of this year’s theme, Memayu Hayuning Bawana, interpreted in English as Uniting Humanity. The Festival brought together a diverse mix of Indonesian and international writers, speakers, thinkers, artists, advocates, commentators, and activists, to create a space for crosscultural dialogue and connection.

Main Program

• 63 Main Program Sessions

• 10 Special Events

• 9 Workshops

• 9 Cultural Workshops

Free Program

• 33 Book Launches

• Satellite Event Changemakers at Alchemy Ubud

• Art Exhibitions across different venues & galleries

• Poetry & Music Performances

• Film Screenings

Highlights

• The 2022 Festival returned to its original format, presenting over 160 events sprawling across different venues in Ubud. This is the first time that the Festival resumed its fully inperson format since the pandemic.

• The 2022 Festival was opened by a highly successful Gala Opening Night on the 17th of October, hosted at Puri Ubud. The Gala Opening was attended by esteemed representatives of our long-standing partners.

• The Foundation presented the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Putu Oka Sukanta, author of fiction and poetry from Singaraja, Bali. Putu has been at the forefront of Indonesia’s contemporary literary renaissance, most notably in the way he has courageously drawn on his life and personal experiences during the time of Indonesia’s New Order.

• In partnership with Writing WA, the Festival co-presented UWRF Perth between the 21st and 23rd of October 21 in Perth, Australia. Featuring Indonesia’s renowned speakers and artists such as Clarissa Goenawan, Reda Gaudamo, and Chef Wayan.

• 10 shortlisted writers for the 2021 Indonesian Emerging Writers contest launched the 2022 Festival Anthology: Mamayu Hayuning Bawana, with some of the judges and Janet DeNeefe.

• The 2022 Festival presented three satellite events with the renowned speakers, Carla Powers, Nawaz Ahmed, and Sequoia Nagamatsu. The events were supported by the Embassy of the United States and in collaboration with municipal governments and universities across Pagar Alam in South Sumatera, Jogjakarta, and East Java.

• Some of the 2022 Festival headliners include Audrey Magee, Carla Power, Joko Pinurbo, Rara Sekar, Tim Baker, Sequoia Nagamatsu, Eric Weiner, Laura Jean McKay, Saras Dewi Putri, and Sami Shah.