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Writer's Festival

Think October! Think Ubud!We have just celebrated the Balinese New Year and have raised our glasses to yet another wonderful year in this garden paradise!

Anticipation is clearly in the air, as we go full steam ahead preparing for yet another Festival that promises to be just as exhilerating as the last two. September, will see the finest of the literary world taking us on journeys we have only read of. Needless, to say, it's guaranteed to thrill. The festival theme of Desa-Kala-Patra has certainly taken hold of us, in true Balinese style, and I am merely a passenger on this literary bemo!

The Sri Lankans are coming to town in full force. Leading this warm-hearted, jovial group is Romesh Gunesekara, who gets the thumbs up from none other than celebrated humorist Nury Vittachi. Nury claims he is the greatest Asian writer on the planet!'

Romesh has just released his third book 'The Match' a heady mix of cricket, politics, self-discovery ' a book that is being hailed as a most intimately and precisely imagined novel. Deepika Shetty, darling of last year's festival and Producer of Off The Shelf in Singapore, calls it a must-read, she laid her hands on the draft, spotted just two typos (we are talking of drafts here!) and simply couldn't put it down. And that's coming from someone who often sounds like she's reading books in her sleep.

Adding to the rich Sri Lankan flavours will be Nihal de Silva recipient of the Graetian award, set up by Michael Ondaatje in Sri Lanka. He will appear, alongside the enigmatic award-winning pilot and writer Elmo Jayawardena and a daring poet by the name of Rudhramoorthy Cheran who is now living in Canada. Their tales of life in Sri Lanka, and consequent exile for some, will be the subject of some fascinating discussions.

The charismatic William Dalrymple, author of the White Moghuls, will also be gracing us with his presence. He will talk about living, researching and working in India as well as Islamaphobia. William will be appearing at one of our literary lunches, which I, for one, think you should sign up for, as soon as it is advertised.

And what's a readers and writers festival without some food? After all that reading, listening and talking, we've got just the thing to whet your appetites. Actress, TV presenter, writer and author Madhur Jaffrey will take you an unforgettable journey that will spice up your trip to Ubud this year. Now, if you are one of those who has never stepped into your kitchen and can't tell your blender from your grinder, take hope. As a child, the silver-spooned Madhur had never stepped into the kitchen. When she left India, she didn't know how to cook. It was her passion for acting that drew her to London and cooking that her brought her back to Indian shores for many celebrated books and TV shows. Hear all about her stories, when FACT meets FICTION at the UBUD Readers and Writers Festival.

And this is merely the beginning….! Check the website for more Festival updates. The dates once again are : 28 September - 3 October. Pencil them in, if you haven't already

More details as always on our webpage www.ubudwritersfestival.com