Bali Prepares For Ubud Writers Festival

Denpasar, Bali - Bali is an island of a thousand faces. To some, it means luxurious resorts beside unspoiled beaches. To others, Bali is partying until dawn. And from Oct. 7 to 11, Bali`s cultural capital, Ubud, will become a literary haven as 90 writers and thousands of literary enthusiasts gather for the 2009 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.

The event features an array of programs, including discussions, literary luncheons, poetry readings, theatrical performances and book launches.

What started off as a humble effort in 2004 to help boost tourism in post-bombing Bali has since become one of the world`s top literary events, this year attracting Nigerian writer, poet and playwright Wole Soyinka, the first African writer to win a Nobel prize. More than 35 percent of those who attended last year`s festival were foreign, demonstrating the success of the event in boosting Bali`s tourism.

Lily Farid, who holds degrees from Hassanuddin University in her hometown of Makassar and from Melbourne University, is one of five curators for UWRF 2009. She is also a writer of short stories on women`s issues, and was one of 15 Indonesian writers invited to participate in last year`s event. Aside from her responsibilities at UWRF, she currently writes about Asian affairs for Nytid, an Oslo-based magazine.

Together with curators from Aceh, East Java, Jakarta and Bali, Lily was responsible for selecting 15 Indonesian writers from a pool of 50 to participate in the festival. She said selection was determined by the “uniqueness and potential of the writer`s works for literary criticism, as well as the aesthetic quality and thematic elements of their work.”

The committee aims to have an equal number of male and female participants, in addition to being representative of Indonesia`s diverse regions.

This year`s theme of “Compassion and Solidarity” refers to an ancient Balinese tradition in which communities unite to face the troubles of life and to celebrate the joys of the world.

Lily believes that UWRF has done wonders for Indonesia`s literary scene.

“The interactive nature of the festival makes literature more accessible to the mainstream,” she said.

“We have activities such as a night market and street festival, which appeal to people who aren`t literary aficionados. Consequently, the festival has introduced literature to new groups of people.”

This is good news for Indonesian youth who, according to Lily, have begun to lose interest in literature due to “the gradual decrease of literary studies within school curriculums.”

The festival has also brought international exposure for Indonesian writers.

“I have met many foreigners from China, Singapore and India who, after joining the UWRF, developed a new interest in Indonesian literature, even asking for recommendations of Indonesian works worthy of reading,” she said.

Tjahjono Widijanto, a participant this year, was born in 1959 in Ngawi, a rural town in East Java, and writes essays on Indonesian literature and culture. He said that for people such as himself, living in relatively isolated areas, “the UWRF offers a very rare opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with international writers.”

He hopes to “learn about literature from other parts of the world, and observe the similarities and differences of literature from other regions with that in Indonesia”

Esha Tegar Putra, a 24-year-old poet from Padang, West Sumatra, submitted his work to be considered for the festival, “because I hoped that by coming to the event I could share my work with international and senior writers. I also hope to learn more and develop myself as a writer, while getting to know more people within the literary world.”

Clara Ng, born in 1973, is a prolific children`s book writer from Jakarta. She hopes that taking part in the festival will allow her to gain knowledge and inspiration from domestic and foreign colleagues.

“I am surprised and happy by the fact that I was selected this year,” she said. “I`m particularly excited about a workshop I`m conducting about writing children`s books. Rarely are writers of children`s books such as myself given recognition in Indonesia, let alone invited to such events of international caliber.” Gary Kong

2009 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday
For more information, visit
www.ubudwritersfestival.com

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.com

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