#uwrf19

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2019 introduced me to many new books and authors. Read more about seven of them. New releases of high quality fiction, international cooking as well as story about school in the Indonesia jungle.

Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali had many amazing books. As you may know, my travelling in 2019 has been about different literary events starting with The London Book Fair, going to Bristol CrimeFest and spending eleven days in world-famous Hay Literary Festival.

After a great and book busy literary summer in the UK, it was time to travel east and take part in the Ubud Writers and…

Day 3 at Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

Attended a panel on the Qandeel Baloch case in the morning, followed that up with a conversation about drugs as vice and how they should be treated, and then listened to Reza Aslan talk for an hour about the history of God.

Then mingled, had lunch with Andi Fischer, bought the books I didn't have money to buy on the first day, and just as I was about to go home bumped into old friends.

Day 2 of Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

Last year about three weeks before the festival I read through the whole programme page by page, box by box, ad by ad, and had a multilayered and coloured highlight and pen system to indicate which events I was interested in, which I would definitely go to, and which I decided that I couldn't attend because of a schedule clash. This culminated in an A4 Excel table that I printed with times, locations, speakers, and who I would be attending with, all perfectly mapped out.

On the second day of this year's festival I traipsed in in the late afternoon, deciding spur of the moment which of the venues to go to (Neka, because that's where the best of the main programme is), with a vague knowledge that I probably missed a couple of good speakers in the morning but hoping that the day's last two sessions would make up for it.

The first one was on the role of the arts in diplomacy. The second explored how fabrics and dress can be used to make statements and channel values. One of the speakers was Didiet Maulana, the founder of Ikat Indonesia, a company bringing traditionally weaved ikat textiles back into daily life and the fashion mainstream. His creations, shown in a short video with some samples on display live, were extraordinary, and the way he spoke about his family history and the significance and meaning behind different kinds of patterns showed a person who cares deeply about what he does.

Towards the end in the question and answer session I asked him about why he feels young people in Indonesia, especially men, shun traditional textiles, associating them with formal occasions and the older generation, and what, if anything, can be done to change that. As a reward for my question after the event I was given a free Ikat Indonesia cloth to take home. I opened the package and found what appearead to be a napkin with maroon, bronze, light, and dark lines. I asked Didiet if I could take a photo with him and the gift. I thought I would hold it, but he took the cloth and quickly fashioned it into an impromptu necktie.

That's a fashion designer for you. And I thought it was just a napkin.

Day 1 of Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

When I went to England last year for a friend's wedding, a lot of people asked me if I missed being there. Regent's Park, Scandinavian section at UCL Main Library, men's department at Selfridges - I loved those places. But still when I returned the only place that moved me to tears was Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road. It felt like a pilgrimage, like I had travelled to the other side of the world to fill a deep inner yearning, be with people who worship what I worship, and bow down at the altar of the written word.

Something similar happened today when I went to Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. The venue, with views of the Ayung river valley and Campuhan Ridge to the east, the tasteful decor at Taman Baca, and the village hall-style architecture at Neka Museum, is stunning. It was great to see Michael Vatikiotis again, whose book Blood and Silk was featured in our book club and who we had the pleasure of hosting last year. And I always feel lucky when I get to hear Andreas Harsono, from Human Rights Watch, speak, full of insight, composure, comeback at the ready. But the most profound experience I had today was when I strolled over to the Periplus/Gramedia book corner. I browsed through the titles. Cantik Itu Luka by Eka Kurniawan, which I had been looking for for years. Pulang by Leila S. Chudori, ditto. As I turned to look at the other racks, I felt a shiver run down my spine. It's a feeling that's kind of hard to explain. Do you know when you see a girl you really like and get butterflies? Yeah, well it's like that, but with books.