Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Podcast

In a powerful conversation from the 2025 Festival, Indonesian journalist and Editor-in-Chief of IDN Times Uni Lubis and Indonesian historian and Founder of Historia.id Bonnie Triyana speak with host and American Professor of Journalism Janet Steele about the controversy over the government’s plan to amend history books. They offer a brave, nuanced and ultimately important analysis of another flash...

In this next #UWRF25 highlight conversation, American writer, journalist and private diplomat Michael Vatikiotis invites New York Times Diplomatxic Correspondent Edward Wong and Chinese Senior Fellow Zhou Bo to examine the complexities of China–United States relations and how contemporary politics influence these powers. Listen in as they untangle their geopolitical landscape and the interactions...

Hear from an all-star line-up of women at the top of their fields as they explore creativity as a gift passed from mother to daughter—from the creation of life to the creation of art, community, and more. Appearing in one of our live recorded highlight conversations of #UWRF25, Indonesian multidisciplinary artist Agnes Christina , Australian author and producer Courtney Collins , British, Delhi-ba...

If you are after more conversations from #UWRF25, take this latest highlight session with you on your early commute or as you unwind after a busy day. In this illuminating conversation, Scottish historian and author Sam Dalrymple goes back in time to when, as recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait—...

Listen back to highlight events from #UWRF25, with new episodes released every week. In this week’s episode, Australian Rewilding Facilitator and writer Gina Chick , British-born essayist and novelist Pico Iyer , and Indonesian travel writer Agustinus Wibowo join Krishna Sen in an extraordinary conversation on seeking discomfort, showing how embracing fear, trying new things, and taking risks make...

Beginning the year with one of the timeliest panels from our 2025 Festival, we hope you enjoy hearing Ingrid Rojas Contreras , Shiori Itō , and Virginia Haussegger in a provoking panel moderated by Kirsten Han . Hear from these incredible three female firebrands as they discuss writing their stories as women and claiming their place in a man’s world, unapologetically. Watch and listen to this live...

Hear from a panel of speakers brought together at #UWRF25 as they explore how, in an increasingly digital world where identity is reduced to labels, titles, and qualifications, we can begin to internalise that identity is greater than what we see on the surface, featuring Australian speechwriter and journalist Brigid Delaney ; Turkish writer, activist, and PEN International board member Ege Dündar...

Hear highlight conversations from #UWRF25 as we release a new episode each week. For our second episode, listen to Australian award-winning author Gail Jones as she discusses her new book The Name of the Sister . In conversation with non-fiction writer Bri Lee , Jones delves into her latest work, following a young woman discovered in the outback with no identity who, unable to speak, sparks a medi...

We are delighted to announce the release of the first podcast episode from #UWRF25. In our first episode, join moderator Petra Molnar as she talks with brilliant minds Omar El Akkad , Neal Hall and Shiori Itō about how they choose to confront unthinkable atrocity with their pens, the tools that allow them to write in these times of urgent need, and why it is necessary to write on the battleground....

In this week's #UWRF24 highlight conversation, the UK’s largest BookTuber and the Internet's Resident Librarian, Jack Edwards , along with digital creator and blogger Sintia Astarina and Bali-based book cover designer and industry expert Ndari , share their journeys into the world of book blogging, the creative process behind their work, and insights into their experiences in shaping the world of...

Catch up on our latest #UWRF24 episode with award-winning authors Felix Cheong, Nam Le , and Omar Musa , alongside host Veronica Sullivan, as they explore the art of genre-shifting and how conventional forms in literature are being challenged. Revisit a rich discussion as they make sense of the creative process behind shifting genres and discuss its challenges. The complete session is now availabl...

This week, we are delighted to bring you an intimate conversation recorded live at #UWRF24. Listen in as New York Times bestselling translator and Korean-to-English writer Anton Hur discusses his debut novel, Toward Eternity , with Norman Erikson Pasaribu . Known for his award-winning translations, Anton proves his literary prowess in this tale, crafting a narrative that is both expansive in scope...

Listen back to a stellar group of expert podcasters and journalists, including Maltese author Paul Caruana Galizia , award-winning Indonesian journalist and anthropologist Tito Ambyo , and Australian Walkley Award-winning reporter Annika Blau , as they discuss how podcasts captivate audiences and transcend traditional media barriers.  This extraordinary panel, recorded live at our 2024 Festival an...

In the past decade, liberal democracies around the world have been attacked from within, and Myanmar is no exception. The civil war in Myanmar, which began with a coup d'état exactly four years ago, has displaced millions, killed or maimed thousands more, and left the country in poverty. Even though the resistance has reached a turning point, leading to a particularly devastating year for the Myan...

The creative process of character development is one of the most crucial elements of storytelling. Revisit this one-of-a-kind meeting of literary minds between prolific Indonesian author Abi Ardianda , Irish fiction writer Alan Murrin , and bestselling Malaysian novelist Ong Chin Huat , as they discuss the art of balancing traits, desires, and fears to create relatable protagonists, formidable ant...

We pride ourselves on being a platform where diverse perspectives on urgent issues in Bali, the region, and around the globe can be shared with clarity, nuance, and respect. With the latest ceasefire and hostage deal between Hamas and Israel, we invite you to revisit our panel discussion with award-winning author and human rights lawyer Sara M. Saleh, prominent author and Palestine's former Minist...

Love is as complex in literature as it is in reality, capturing the essence of our deepest emotions and weaving stories of passion, heartbreak, and connection. In this discussion, recorded live at #UWRF24 , authors Dee Lestari, Laura Elizabeth Woollett, and Kylie Needham explored the emotional landscapes they create, the societal influences shaping romantic narratives, and fresh perspectives on lo...

Listen to an urgent conversation from this year’s festival featuring renowned best-selling authors Amitav Ghosh, Sathnam Sanghera, and Isna Marifa as they explored the history of European colonialism and its outcomes.  Their dialogue challenged the notion that history is settled and delved into how the legacies of colonialism continue to shape our social, political, and economic landscapes. To wat...

In this first episode, Nobel Prize–winning author and journalist Maria Ressa explores the impact of social media on journalism, the fight for press freedom, and the need for ethical storytelling in a fractured world, moderated by Janet Steele. In an era of disinformation and heightened political tensions, Maria explains in this clip how lies spread faster than truths and how these platforms are be...

For our 2023 Festival Highlights finale, listen to unexpected stories of pride and resilience from four incredible queer poets and writers. Hear from Virginia Helzainka, Chris Tse, Norman Erikson Pasaribu, and Broede Carmody as they discuss their journeys of self-discovery, and the rich diversity of queer poetics and the queer community, in conversation with fellow Adolfo Aranjuez. In this short h...

This week, get inspired by our in-depth conversation with 2019 Booker Prize–winning author Bernardine Evaristo, who discusses her radically honest memoir, Manifesto: On Never Giving Up, serving as an inspiring guide for how to be persistent in your craft, career, and life, with the Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Jenny Niven.  To listen to more of this insightful conversatio...

For our next live-recorded highlight session from our 2023 Festival, listen to urban experts in sustainable development and local Balinese figures Cok Putra, I Nyoman Satya Kumara, Putu Yindy Kurniawan, and Gungtik Rismayanti, and Dian Tri Irawaty as they discuss opportunities, challenges, local solutions and best practices, as well as lessons learned in Bali’s journey to achieve net-zero emission...

Revisit our 2023 Festival highlight conversation recorded live at Indus Restaurant. Listen as Professors Aaron Corn, Marcia Langton, and Todung Mulya Lubis join Katie Carr to discuss their personal approaches on how indigenous traditions and laws can drive innovation and how we can initiate a dialogue about reshaping settler colonial systems using indigenous law for a more sustainable future.  To...

On this week's 2023 highlight conversation program, watch the Festival High Tea Book Club recorded live at Ubud's most iconic hotel Amandari with host Laksmi DeNeefe Suardana and dazzling female guests Tracey Lien, Claudia Bellante, Megan Nolan, and Dias Novita Wuri, who are talking about books that have inspired them, and the joys of reading. To watch or listen to the full session, visit our webs...

In an extraordinary conversation, eminent Indian author and Hindi language novelist Geetanjali Shree takes the stage to reflect on her literary journey. Winner of the International Booker Prize for her recently translated Tomb of Sand, she has written fiction novels, short stories, and essays, earning recognition and acclaim for her insightful and thought-provoking writings that reflect on the cha...