Janet DeNeefe's reflections on the 2024 Festival

This October, more than 300 authors, artists, and activists from all over the world gathered in Ubud to share their stories.

With over 250 events on offer, including panel discussions, dance and performance, literary lunches, guided tours, late-night comedy, musicals, and spoken word galas, as well as book launches, workshops, and so much more, this year’s program proved that there is nowhere like Ubud to experience a vibrant celebration of reading and writing in all its forms.

At a fundamental level, books, stories, and ideas have the power to remind us of what it means to be human – to bring people together for an exchange of perspectives and to become characters in the story of each other's lives.

Be it thought-provoking conversations, intimate literary dinners, or powerful performances with Indonesia's finest talents, our stages were bursting with big ideas and creativity, and we hope you dove in and experienced all that the Festival had to offer!

None of this would have been possible without our dedicated volunteers who gave their time and energy, the incredible festival team of experts whose skills helped realize one of the most complex cultural undertakings in Bali, the ingenuity of the Festival’s participating authors and artists, and of course, our beloved audience!

I’d also like to thank all of our private supporters, corporate sponsors, and venue partners who helped us make this remarkable four-day celebration possible.

We look forward to welcoming you back in 2025!


Festival Highlight Video

Replay all the memories of our 2024 Festival with our highlights video.

Program Snapshot

  • 88 Main Programs
  • 23 Special Events
  • 13 Masterclasses8 Art & Cultural Programs
  • 57 Free Events
  • 36 Book Launches
  • 5 Art Exhibitions
  • 11 Film Screenings
  • 10 Satellite Events
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