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Think October! Think Ubud!


Monday August 14, 2006
Ubud Readers & Writers Festival Releases More Details on Exciting List of Speakers and Events - September 30 – October 3, 2006. 


The Ubud Readers & Writers Festival returns September 30 – October 3, 2006 promising once again to fill Ubud hillside arts community with the creative vibrations of talented writers and their appreciative audiences.



Birds Do It, Bees Do It, Even Educated Fleas Do it – Who Does it Better?

Join the debate in Ubud on the subject of "Love."

International writers and poets will match words and wits as they attempt to discover "love - who does it better" - poets or novelists? The Dragonfly Restaurant will turn into a boxing-ring of knock-down verbal action between the festival's most serious lust and romance writers and poets, including Tarun Tejpal, Shalini Akhil, Kunal Basu, Albertina Soepboer and others.

Prepare to be seduced.

Raoul Shrott

From European shores, and sponsored by the Goethe-Institut Indonesia, acclaimed poet, novelist, translator and essayist Raoul Shrott will be attending this year's festival. Born on a boat, raised in Tunisia and Germany and now living in Ireland Raoul Schrott is considered unique among contemporary writers as his work brings together verse, history, narration and investigation.

Albertina Soepboer

Through the generous support of the Dutch Embassy Albertina Soepboer will also be on hand in Ubud. A bilingual writer who in both Frisian and Dutch, Albertina's short stories, plays and lyrics delve into issues of female identity, history and language itself, and the influences of music and traveling.

The Alchemy of Love

Also appearing on the festival's "love panel" is Tarun Tejpal, well-known Indian journalist and the author of acclaimed debut novel, The Alchemy of Desire. Tarun will share his thoughts on love and intimacy - guaranteed to make you blush. The Alchemy of Desire has been described as a complex chemistry between sex, ambition and love. Tarun will be joined by Kunal Basu who delivered luscious, unforgettable messages of love and lust in his best-seller The Miniaturists with delicious touches of erotica between the lines.

Even Balinese on Monkey Forest Road Do it!

Among the line-up of Balinese writers appearing at the festival is Ketut Yuliarsa, who recently appeared on the Australian ABC television drama, Answered by Fire. Ketut is a poet, actor and musician who now lives in Sydney. His latest book of poetry, Jatuh Bisu, Falling in Silence, was launched at Indus Restaurant in July of this year.

Ketut will be discussing his part in the production of the internationally acclaimed, Theft of Sita, with shadow-puppet master, Made Sidia.

Festival Highlights

Other highlights from this year’s Ubud Readers & Writers Festival include:

A Tribute to Pramoedya - In a special event to honor Pramoedya Ananta Toer, the festival will celebrate the life of the most influential Indonesian writer.

Pramoedya's life has all the deeply principled drama of a romance by Hugo or Stendhal. A firebrand propagandist during the revolutionary period, Pramoedya was imprisoned and tortured by both the Dutch colonial administration and the Sukarno government (which he stoutly supported), for criticizing their policies in print.

With the rise of the New Order and at the height of his powers, Pramoedya was sent into internal exile on the hellish prison island of Buru, where he was denied the use of even pen and paper. Undeterred and with the help of his fellow prisoners, he managed to compose some of his best works, including the tetralogy that begins with the novel This Earth of Mankind.

In the post-Suharto era, Pramoedya became internationally known as an icon of bravery and perseverance in the face of tyranny.

This event, the first major assessment of Pramoedya since his death last April, will present the story of his life, accompanied by images from some of Indonesia's leading photographers; a multi-media presentation of key passages from his work, to be read by major contemporary Indonesian writers, and concluding remarks by Joesoef Isak, Pramoedya's editor and publisher and winner of the PEN-Keneally Award for courageous publishing.

A Tribute to Pramoedya promises to be a highlight of this year's Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. This special Tribute will take place on Friday, September 29, 2006, 8:30-10:30pm on the Lotus Stage at Puri Saraswati, Jalan Raya, Ubud. This event is free and open to the public.

Literary Lunches

A highlight of this year's program will be series of Literary Lunches providing the opportunity to savor the best that the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival has to offer: fabulous international writers and delicious food in a dynamic setting. Tickets are now on sale for our four Literary Lunches featuring Anita Desai, Madhur Jaffrey, William Dalrymple, Eric Campbell & Christopher Kremmer.

Saturday, September 30, 2006 - 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. "Climbing the Mango Tree" Featuring Madhur Jaffrey. Meet Madhur Jaffrey, a leading authority on Indian food, as she takes you on an unforgettable journey through the pages of her new memoir, Climbing the Mango Tree at the stylish Uma Ubud Resort. Cost: Rp. 500,000 (approximately US$55.00).

Sunday, October 1, 2006 - 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. "White Mughals: Love & Betrayal in 18th Century India" featuring William Dalrymple. Award-winning author, William Dalrymple, will discuss eighteenth century India and tales of love and romance from the pages of his latest book, the White Mughals over a leisurely three-course meal at the elegant Maya Resort. Cost: Rp. 500,000 (approximately US$55.00). Sponsored by American Express.

Monday, October 2, 2006 - 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. "A Foreign Affair" featuring Christopher Kremmer and Eric Campbel.Join intrepid foreign correspondents Christopher Kremmer and Eric Campbell, as they take you on a three-course magic-carpet ride through Afghanistan, Iraq and other war-torn lands and forbidden cities at the Alila Resort. Cost: Rp. 500,000 (approximately US$55).

Tuesday, October 3,2006 - 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. "Peacocks and Diamond Dust" featuring Anita Desai.Join the delightful, award-winning writer, Anita Desai, as she shares her seductive stories of India, Mexico and the days of her childhood. Be charmed by Anita against a backdrop of endless rice fields at the beautiful Chedi Club Resort. Cost: Rp. 500,000 (approximately US$55).

Tuesday, October 3, 20-06 – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. "What the Body Remembers" featuring Shaurna Singh Baldwin. Shauna's fascinating first novel What the Body Remembers, the story of two women in a polygamous marriage in Occupied India, received the Commonwealth Prize for Best Book (Canada-Caribbean). Her second novel, The Tiger Claw, is inspired by the life of Noor Inayat Khan (codename: Madeleine). The story of a Sufi Muslim secret agent who searches for her beloved through Occupied France, it was a finalist for the Giller Prize.