Ubud Writers & Readers Festival director and founder Janet DeNeefe (in left photo) is the owner of Casa Luna and Indus restaurants located in Ubud, Bali. She is also the author of Fragrant Rice, an account of her personal journey on the fabled island of Bali. No wonder Ubud Festival has been known for its celebrations of world literature, culture, and food! Recently named by Harper’s Bazaar, UK, as one of the top festivals in the world, and by ABC’s Asia-Pacific network as the next Edinburgh Festival of Asia, the Ubud Festival is set to gather renowned writers from all over the world to a five-day literary event beginning on October 6th this year. We have recently talked with Janet DeNeefe about what is in store for the festival visitors, and what follows is a sneak peek of what promises to be another literary delicacy.AW: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has been named one of the six best literary festivals in the world. How were you able to achieve this?
JDN: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has a number of unique qualities, including the location, of course. We program specifically around diversity—inviting the best writers from over 25 countries each year. The opportunities this gives to both readers and writers from all over Indonesia and the world are extraordinary—to meet, listen, and share stories. People come away profoundly moved and changed. We also have a wonderful program of special events—from literary lunches, book launches, celebrations of food, cultural programs, workshops, and more. It's diverse, exciting and there's something for everyone. The Festival staff work hard to keep the festival intimate and informal, which is quite easy in the context of Bali and Balinese hospitality.
AW: For those who have yet to experience Ubud Festival, how different is Ubud from the other festivals in Asia, like Jaipur?
JDN: Aside from the qualities I have already mentioned, we also have a lot less funding, a far smaller English language reading public, and we have to ticket our main program.
AW: The festival is two months away. When did you start preparing for this year’s event, and how are the preparations coming along?
JDN: It’s always very complex. We don’t have annual funding to rely on, so we need to start from scratch every year, applying for project funding and support from our wonderful sponsors. Having Citibank on board for three years is really going to take the pressure off and enable us to deliver an even better program!AW: How do you choose which writers and from which countries to invite? What is the general idea for gathering this diverse pool of writers?
JDN: We always invite 15 emerging Indonesian writers, which is one of our key objectives, to allow them to network and seize opportunities, share the stage with luminaries and take part in sessions in front of publishers. We choose by reading and recommendations from friends. Some writers who have been here before write back and say ‘this writer would work in Ubud.’ Others via submission.
AW: There is a lot of literary groups in the region that would like to organize their own literary festivals but are afraid they will not be able to get enough funding. How are you able to market Ubud Literary Festival?
JVN: With passion and dedication. The original team comprised of three core people! Lots of the community spirit of the people of Ubud built the festival to what it is today. The staff really live and breathe the festival. Build it from love and commitment in a small team, and focus on doing something small but well organised. Once you have that in place, and a great event built, then marketing, sourcing funds and sponsors is much easier.
AW: The Ubud Festival has always been a well-attended event. Given that it has become more complicated over the years, we are sure it’s not all good news. What issues have you faced in the previous years? Anything in particular that you do not want to happen again in this year’s festival?
JDN: We’ve had bombs, travel warnings, a wine drought, and esteemed writers being treated suspiciously because of their country of origin.
AW: How will the festival be different from last year? Any new highlights?
JDN: A lot of spoken word will be on this year—we want the festival to be for young people as much as the mid-lifers. Spoken word artists, slams, and rappers are revitalizing a passion for writing and we want to showcase that. Also we’ll have a Croation talking with a Bosnian, and an Israeli talking with a Palestinian, not as government officials, not ‘representing’ any party line, just as
writers being human, and telling stories that lay in the cracks between the debates we see in the media. Two Booker Prize winners are coming this year—Anne Enright (in left photo) and Thomas Kenneally— and a 2010 nominee, Christos Tsoilkas, from Australia. We are also trying a kind of literary fightclub for the first time! Details to be released soon.AW: Ubud Readers & Writers Festival is no doubt a major international festival. Long-term, how do you see the festival growing? Anything else that you want to see happening in the event in the years to come?
JDN: There is no shortage of ideas and directions for the festival to take. The important thing is that we focus on our mission—to bring a diverse group of writers from Indonesia and the world together for meaningful dialogue and exchange. From there, anything might happen! We will be focusing in the short term on increasing opportunities for Indonesian writers, and making the festival more accessible and attractive to Indonesian audiences. This means taking the festival on tour. This year, we will be doing events all through Eastern Indonesia, Java and Sumatra.
The Citibank Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is happening in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia from October 6-10. Fur updates and detailed event schedules, please visit http://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/
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