For those of you who missed it (there’s always next year!), here’s a quick photo-tour of the wonderful Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Bali…
Sunrise, Sanur Beach, pre-festival
Writers dinner hosted by the Fairmont Hotel, Sanur
Antoine Cassar (Passaport Project) samples kopi luwak en route to Ubud
Festival opening ceremony, Ubud Palace
With Avi Sirlin, Jane Maryam and Kate Evans at Casa Luna
My first session, Why Write?, with Rebecca Harkins-Cross, Okky Madasari, Mireille Juchau and Nam Le
My second session, Make History, with Isa Kamari, Avi Sirlin and Tory Loudon
Long Table Dinner event, Honeymoon Guesthouse
Mpho Tutu, keynote address: ‘Without forgiveness, peace cannot fly.’
Sofie Laguna: ‘The more innocence you bring to a voice, the more you expose the world’s corruption.’
Chigozie Obioma, on The Fishermen: ‘The brothers are a metaphor for the foundational myth of Nigeria; the madman the seed of destruction.’
Porochista Khakpour: ‘We throw the ball and the reader has to catch it.’
Anuradha Roy: ‘I think very hard about endings, even at the start of a book.’
![Dorothy Tse: 'I teach [my creative writing students] to be better readers.'](https://amandacurtin.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/p1020215.jpg?w=300&h=225)
Dorothy Tse: ‘I teach [my creative writing students] to be better readers.’
Nam Le: ‘Writing anything involving human beings with some care and some rigour is inevitably a political act.’
Finegan Kruckemeyer: ‘I try to write open, allegorical works that children can read into what they want.’
Michael Chabon: ‘You need to acknowledge what’s going on under the surface of anything in life.’
Drusilla Modjeska: Incarcerating people (on Manus) is ‘destabilising for the spirit of the ground.’
This guy had nothing to say.
Closing night, Blanco Renaissance Museum, Ubud
Farewell brunch for writers, Casa Luna
Thanks to:
writingWA, for airfare sponsorship
festival accommodation sponsors
the beautiful Fairmont Hotel, Sanur
the very bohemian Bali Bohemia, Ubud
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival for a truly inspiring festival experience
looking up/looking down 
What an amazing event. How absolutely delicious! And how wonderful Amanda, you were an honoured part of this. Oh, deepest pangs of wistfulness here at having missed it all! But beautiful pictures and the talks must have been brilliant…thank you so much for sharing this…all the very best to you. Kindest regards, Kim
Thank you, Kim 🙂 I hope you’re able to experience it yourself one year—it is a wonderful festival in its international reach, along with its strong focus on the region.
Lovely photos and captions Amanda 🙂 Some scenes and people looked familiar and yes, I always intended to go back … maybe next year … thank you for this intriguing glimpse.
Thanks, Rashida 🙂
Great write up, Amanda. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great experience.
Thanks, Angela 🙂
It’s a shame the monkey wouldn’t give you a quote! 😉
He was experimenting with the technique of powerful silence, Louise 🙂
Beautiful photographs and quotes Amanda. There is always next year as you say; hope to be there then and to enjoy the wonderful discussions and delicious food! Looks amazing.
Thanks, Rose. It’s a fabulous festival. I’m sure you’d love it. 🙂
I loved all the inspiration comments spoken from the heart of each individual. Even the monkey – self-expressive I would say.
Haha, yes indeed! Thanks for reading, Valerie 🙂