Constellation of Words: The Wisdom of The Stars and an Evening of Poetry at Indus

Abhay K. is an Indian poet, editor, translator, and diplomat. He is the author of several poetry collections and the editor of six books, including The Book of Bihari Literature. His poems have appeared in over a hundred literary magazines across the globe, and his Earth Anthem has been translated into over 160 languages. He received the SAARC Literary Award in 2013 and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., in 2018. His translations of Kalidasa’s Meghaduta and Ritusamhara from Sanskrit won him the KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award for 2020–21. His translation of the Magahi novel Fool Bahadur has been published by Penguin Random House, India.

Abhay K. adalah seorang penyair, editor, penerjemah, dan diplomat asal India. Ia adalah penulis beberapa kumpulan puisi dan editor dari enam buku, termasuk The Book of Bihari Literature. Puisinya telah muncul di lebih dari seratus majalah sastra di seluruh dunia, dan karyanya yang bertajuk Earth Anthem telah diterjemahkan ke dalam lebih dari 160 bahasa. Ia menerima SAARC Literary Award pada tahun 2013 dan diundang untuk merekam puisinya di Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., pada tahun 2018. Terjemahannya untuk karya-karya Kalidasa, Meghaduta dan Ritusamhara, dari bahasa Sanskerta memenangkan KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award untuk tahun 2020–21. Terjemahannya atas novel Magahi Fool Bahadur telah diterbitkan oleh Penguin Random House, India.

Ali Cobby Eckermann is an Australian poet of Aboriginal ancestry. She has written poetry collections, verse novels, and a memoir, and has been shortlisted for or won several literary awards. Eckermann's first collection, little bit long time, launched her literary career in 2009. In 2013, she toured Ireland as the Australian Poetry Ambassador and won the Kenneth Slessor Prize and Book of the Year (NSW) for Ruby Moonlight, a massacre verse novel. In 2014, she was the inaugural recipient of the Tungkunungka Pintyanthi Fellowship at Adelaide Writers Week and became the first Aboriginal Australian writer to attend the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. In 2017, she won the international Windham-Campbell Literature Prize for Poetry and in 2024 the Indigenous Writers' Prize. Eckermann has traveled extensively, performing her poetry.

Supported by Writers SA.

Ali Cobby Eckermann adalah seorang penyair Australia keturunan Aborigin. Ia telah menulis sejumlah kumpulan puisi, novel puisi, sebuah memoar, dan telah masuk dalam beberapa daftar pendek bahkan memenangkan penghargaan sastra. Koleksi pertama Eckermann, little bit long time, menjadi awal dari karir sastranya di tahun 2009. Pada tahun 2013, ia melakukan tur ke Irlandia sebagai Duta Puisi Australia dan memenangkan Kenneth Slessor Prize dan Book of the Year (NSW) untuk Ruby Moonlight, sebuah novel puisi tentang pembantaian. Pada tahun 2014, ia menjadi penerima pertama Tungkunungka Pintyanthi Fellowship di Adelaide Writers Week dan menjadi penulis Aborigin pertama yang mengikuti International Writing Program di University of Iowa. Pada tahun 2017, ia memenangkan Windham-Campbell Literature Prize for Poetry dan selanjutnya Indigenous Writers' Prize pada tahun 2024. Eckermann telah melakukan banyak perjalanan, mempertunjukkan puisinya di berbagai tempat di dunia.

Didukung oleh Writers SA.

Gabrielle Tania is an astronomy enthusiast and the Founder of Astronomy Bali, a vibrant community for stargazers and astronomy lovers. With a passion for making astronomy accessible and fun, Gabrielle's mission is to break the stereotype that astronomy is only for 'nerds.' Through interactive events like stargazing, workshops, and educational activities, she creates a space where anyone, from beginners to seasoned sky-watchers, can enjoy and learn about the wonders of the universe. To date, Astronomy Bali has impacted more than 200 individuals through its events and outreach and will continue to reach even more.

Lionel Lauch is a Gunditjmara Kirrae Wurrung-Bundjalung man and cultural educator residing on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. He has lived there since childhood, developing a deep connection to his land and cultural heritage. Lionel shares his vast knowledge of Indigenous practices, including artifact production, bush foods, traditional tools, healing, and ceremonies, through guided walks, yidaki healing, meditations, and educational programs. The powerful vibrations of the yidaki create a space for grounding and profound healing, connecting listeners to the land and offering therapeutic benefits.

Lionel Lauch adalah pria dari suku Gunditjmara Kirrae Wurrung-Bundjalung dan seorang pendidik budaya yang tinggal di Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Ia telah tinggal di sana sejak ia kecil, menumbuhkan ikatan yang mendalam dengan tanah dan warisan budayanya. Lionel membagikan pengetahuannya yang luas tentang praktik-praktik asli Masyarakat Adat, termasuk pembuatan artefak, makanan semak, alat-alat tradisional, penyembuhan, dan upacara, melalui tur berjalan, penyembuhan yidaki, meditasi, dan program edukasi. Getaran kuat dari yidaki menciptakan ruang untuk grounding dan penyembuhan, menghubungkan pendengar dengan tanah dan menawarkan manfaat terapeutik.

Noviana Kusumawardhani is the Media Manager at the Balispirit Festival, but people know her more as a tarot card reader. She has read for more than 17 thousand people from almost all over the world. While in Jakarta, besides having taught creative writing at Mercu Buana University, she worked in the advertising industry for fifteen years, with her last position as Creative Director at BBDO Indonesia. In 2011, she launched a collection of short stories at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Lelaki Yang Membelah Bulan, and in 2022, Sesungguhnya, Aku Menunggu. Her works have been nominated as the best choice of short stories by Kompas daily, namely: Rongga (2010), Pemburu Air Mata (2012), Pemanggil Bidadari (2013), and Kota Tanpa Kata dan Air Mata (2014).

Noviana Kusumawardhani adalah Manajer Media di Balispirit Festival, tetapi orang lebih mengenalnya sebagai pembaca tarot. Ia telah membaca untuk lebih dari 17 ribu orang dari hampir seluruh dunia. Selama di Jakarta, selain mengajar penulisan kreatif di Universitas Mercu Buana, ia bekerja di industri periklanan selama lima belas tahun, dengan posisi terakhir sebagai Direktur Kreatif di BBDO Indonesia. Pada tahun 2011, ia meluncurkan kumpulan cerita pendek bertajuk Lelaki Yang Membelah Bulan di Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, dan judul lainnya, Sesungguhnya, Aku Menunggu terbit pada tahun 2022. Karya-karyanya telah dinominasikan sebagai pilihan cerita pendek terbaik oleh Harian Kompas, yaitu: Rongga (2010), Pemburu Air Mata (2012), Pemanggil Bidadari (2013), dan Kota Tanpa Kata dan Air Mata (2014).

Sugi Lanus is an Indonesian curator at the Lontar Museum in Karangasem, Bali. After studying at the Bali Literature Department of Udayana University, he has actively worked part-time as a research assistant for institutions like Princeton University, UCLA, Murdoch University, Leiden University, Osaka University, and others. He has participated in numerous international workshops and training sessions, and pursued postgraduate education in various disciplines: Cultural Studies, Tourism Studies, and Theology. In 2006, he established the Hanacaraka Society to delve into Bali and Lombok's lontar manuscripts. He has contributed hundreds of articles that have been published in various online and print media outlets, such as tatkala.co, Bali Post, and more. Currently, he is engaged in research on manuscript-related reliefs at Borobudur and the Herbalian Project, which aims to map herbal knowledge found in ancient Balinese and Javanese lontar manuscripts.

Sugi Lanus adalah seorang kurator Indonesia di Museum Lontar di Karangasem, Bali. Setelah menempuh studi Sastra Bali di Universitas Udayana, ia aktif bekerja paruh waktu sebagai asisten peneliti untuk institusi seperti Universitas Princeton, UCLA, Universitas Murdoch, Universitas Leiden, Universitas Osaka, dan lain-lain. Ia telah berpartisipasi dalam berbagai lokakarya dan pelatihan internasional, serta mengejar pendidikan pascasarjana dalam berbagai disiplin ilmu: Studi Kebudayaan, Pariwisata, dan Teologi. Pada tahun 2006, ia mendirikan Hanacaraka Society untuk mendalami manuskrip lontar Bali dan Lombok. Ia telah menyumbangkan ratusan artikel yang dipublikasikan di berbagai media daring dan cetak, seperti tatkala.co, Bali Post, dan lainnya. Saat ini, ia sedang terlibat dalam penelitian mengenai relief yang berkaitan dengan manuskrip di Borobudur, serta Herbalian Project yang bertujuan untuk memetakan pengetahuan herbal yang ditemukan dalam manuskrip lontar Bali dan Jawa kuno.

Tamala Shelton is a proud Bundjalung and Lamalama actor, writer, and activist based in Naarm (Melbourne). She began her acting career as a teenager, appearing in notable shows such as Upper Middle Bogan, Nowhere Boys, and Cleverman. With over a decade of experience in the creative arts, Tamala has expanded her work to include recording First Nations audiobooks and hosting Storybox Library. Following the passing of her late Uncle Archie Roach in 2022, she has performed a spoken-word rendition of his song Cradle of Life. Recently, Tamala co-founded Ripple Cinema, a monthly film screening and panel discussion series designed to raise awareness, spark conversations, and support various causes.

Tamala Shelton adalah seorang aktor, penulis, dan aktivis Bundjalung dan Lamalama yang tinggal di Naarm (Melbourne). Dia memulai karier aktingnya sebagai remaja, tampil dalam acara-acara terkenal seperti Upper Middle Bogan, Nowhere Boys, dan Cleverman. Dengan pengalaman lebih dari satu dekade di bidang seni kreatif, Tamala telah memperluas karyanya untuk mencakup perekaman buku audio Bangsa Pertama dan menjadi pembawa acara di Storybox Library. Setelah pamannya, Archie Roach, meninggal pada tahun 2022, ia membawakan versi spoken word dari lagu Cradle of Life. Baru-baru ini, Tamala ikut mendirikan Ripple Cinema, sebuah rangkaian pemutaran film bulanan dan diskusi panel yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan kesadaran, memantik percakapan, dan mendukung berbagai tujuan.