Director Janet De Neefe announced the full lineup of writers attending the 2010 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. More than 100 writers, a third of them Indonesian, the rest from more than 20 different countries, will gather together in Bali’s most magical town to share stories, ideas and their craft over five days.
The stellar line up includes Booker Prize winners Anne Enright (Ireland) and Thomas Keneally (Australia); multi award winning travel writer and historian William Dalrymple, (UK); former front line journalist and BBC news editor, Kate Adie (UK); Ma Jian (China/UK) who is one of the most important and courageous contemporary voices in Chinese literature; author and film maker Etgar Keret (Israel), acclaimed Australian novelists, Cate Kennedy, Frank Moorhouse and Christos Tsiolkas (Australia); celebrated poet and author Tabish Khair, (India); architect and writer Suad Amiry (Lebanon) whose latest book, Nothing to Lose But your Life was named as one of The Independent’s top six books of 2010; painter and author Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon/US) whose new novel The Hakawati has been published in 15 countries. 2010 Nautilus Book Award winner, Ali Eteraz (Pakistan/ US); scholar and founder of the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. Richard Gombrich (UK); Abdourahman Waberi (France) and Albert Wendt (New Zealand) one of the major writers of Samoa, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Other writers attending include Robert Adamson (Australia), Tash Aw (Malaysia), Greg Barton (Australia), Sophie Cunningham (Australia), Sutardi Calzum Bachri (Indonesia); Ali Cobby Eckermann (Australia), Adrian Grima (Malta); Najat El Hachmi (Spain);), Lionel Fogarty (Australia), Noor Huda Ismail (Indonesia); Sosiawan Leak (Indonesia); Joan London (Australia), Shane Maloney (Australia), Nam Le (Australia), Dewi Lestari (Indonesia); Musabegovic (Bosnia); Sitor Situmorang (Indonesia); Pauline Nguyen (Australia); Mike Otterman (USA), Kris Saknussemm (USA), Lisa Teasley (USA) and Mark Tredinnick (Australia).
The 2010 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival theme is ‘Bhinneka Tunngal Ika: Harmony in Diversity’, the Indonesian national motto originating from the Sutasoma, advocating respect between all people, across religious, ethnic and social differences. From October 6 – 10, the best and brightest global writers will come together to debate the issues that divide and unite us, in a celebration of stories and voices.
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival was created as a healing process in response to the first Bali bombing and has developed into one of the world’s most unique literary events, named ‘one of the six best literary festivals in the world’ by Harpers Bazaar UK. In 2010 the Festival will celebrate its seventh year with words, wine and song in a menu of literary lunches, special events and dinners in Ubud’s elegant hotels, beautiful restaurants and magnificent homes.
Wednesday 6 – Sunday 10 October 2010
More information here.
