Literary fest drives Bali recovery

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 10/03/2007 3:50 PM  |  National

Trisha Setori, Contributor, Ubud

The 2007 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival closed late last week with a promise of an even bigger festival next year.

The gala closing event was held at the Blanco Renaissance Museum during an evening of dance and music.

Festival director and founder Janet De Neefe said South American writer Isabelle Allende was already lined up for next year's event, which will run from Oct. 14 to 19.

The festival is a boon for the local economy, worth hundreds of millions of rupiah, according to Ngurah Wijaya of the Bali Tourism Board.

He said the festival was helping to turn around a tourist industry that has been ailing since the two terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005.

""While the festival is economically valuable, its power to inspire writers and readers is a repeat of the 1930s when writers told the world about Bali,"" said Wijaya.

More than 600 participants joined this year's festival, nearly double the previous year.

""This festival was extra special. We doubled our sales and there was a wonderful energy in the combination of writers, readers and events,"" said De Neefe on the sidelines of the closing ceremony.

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