Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

A rapid-fire war of words, ideas and party lines: the US election sends voters to the polls a week after the Festival ends. Our writers debate the controversies, calamities, and … The post Ideas in Focus // Making America Great Again? appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Will we remember 2016 as the year everything changed? What effect will global events such as Brexit, the US election, and increased acts of terrorism have on Southeast Asia? Is … The post Ideas in Focus // The View from Here appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Is there any bigger question than the question of self? What shapes our identity? Writers from Indonesia, Singapore, Pakistan and Turkey debate how ‘self’ comes into being – from nature … The post Ideas in Focus // The Self and I appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

From Airbnb to Google Maps: has the internet robbed travel of its romance and adventure? Has the great unknown been replaced by TripAdvisor and daily Facebook updates? Pack your bag … The post Ideas in Focus // Tethered Travel appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Iconic literary figure Sutardji once turned Indonesia’s time-worn poetry traditions upside down after proclaiming the liberation of words from their shackles of socially-enforced meanings. In an age of Twitwars and … The post In-Conversation // Sutardji Calzoum Bachri: The Chanting Poet appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Terrorism. War. Political turbulence. Climate change. Environmental devastation. When the news is too much to bear, fiction can help us to grapple with the big issues. Featuring Kamila Shamsie, Paul … The post Ideas in Focus // Shining a Light appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Between speech and silence: activist Anastasia Lin, and human rights lawyer Teng Biao, consider the current state of free expression in China. Where is it heading, what is lost, and … The post Ideas in Focus // China, Outspoken appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

With extreme acts hitting the headlines with frightening regularity, our panel asks what drives individuals, communities and movements to extreme action? How can we encounter it, and counter it? Featuring: … The post Ideas in Focus // At the Extreme appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

From military muscle in the South China Sea to protectionist policies, relations between hard-hitting global superpowers US and China have a significant impact on Southeast Asia. Our commentators take stock, … The post Ideas in Focus // USA in Asia appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.

Single-by-choice, salary-independent and devoted to solo living, the single woman occupies a more powerful social, political, and economic position than ever before. What does the landscape look like across different … The post Ideas in Focus // All the Single Ladies appeared first on Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.