More than 100 authors, activists and journalists from 30 countries will gather at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (UWRF) in Bali from Oct. 23 to 27 to share their stories and ideas on karma.

Karma — the theme of this year’s UWRF — is derived from the Balinese Hindus’ spiritual principle of karma phala, where each action has a consequence equal in force, and similar in form.

UWRF, one of the most prominent literary events in the world, will feature 180 speakers this year.

True to its trademark as a platform for multidisciplinary contemporary dialog, the festival will showcase not just authors but also activists, chefs, fashion designers and performing artists. They will exchange ideas along with participants and guests across 170 programs during the four-day festival.

Veteran Indonesian journalists Maria Hartiningsih and Andreas Harsono will discuss the future of Indonesia’s democracy and Islam, respectively. The festival will hold the launch of several titles, including Fall Baby by Laksmi Pamuntjak.

Among the international authors taking part in the festival are Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh, who wrote Trainspotting; and Iranian-American religious scholar Reza Aslan, whose book Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth made into the New York Times bestseller list.

American writer Terence Ward will delve into the intersection of religion, identity and politics in a discussion session titled “Islam Today.”

Besides democracy and Islam, feminism remains a central theme in this year’s edition of UWRF. Australian feminist author Clementine Ford and her Indonesian counterpart Eliza Vitri Handayani will discuss this issue in separate sessions.

“We are always striving to offer so many different presentations in our festival,” UWRF founder and director Janet DeNeefe told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Rising star Indonesian authors like fiction writer Faisal Oddang and travel writer Famega Syavira Putri will also show up at the upcoming event, along with the festival’s 2019 batch of emerging writers from across Indonesia, curated by Indonesian prominent authors Leila S. Chudori, Putu Fajar Arcana and Warih Wisatsana.

The emerging writers comprise Chandra Bientang from Jakarta, Ilhamdi Putra from Padang, West Sumatra as well as three authors from East Java — Heru Sang Amurwabumi, Lita Lestianti and Nurillah Achmad.

These authors will also conduct workshops for participants interested in boosting their literary or creative skills.

Aside from the book-related discussions, the upcoming festival will also screen a selection of movies, including Garin Nugroho’s Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku (Memories of My Body), Indonesia’s official submission for next year’s Academy Award.

Diverse lineup: Among the 180 speakers to appear at this year’s UWRF are (clockwise from top left) Iranian-American religious scholar Reza Aslan, Indonesian writer Laksmi Pamuntjak, Scottish novelist Irvine Welsh and Australian feminist author Clementine Ford. (Courtesy of UWRF)

Garin will attend the film’s screening, as well as two discussion sessions on the country’s democracy and cinema.

Aside from Garin, fashion designer Didiet Maulana and chef Bara Pattiradjawane are scheduled to share their creative secrets at UWRF.

Artists and artistic collectives including Marmar Herayukti, Sampah Puppets and Super Funky Artists will give a children’s workshop on creating artwork from recycled materials.

Musicians across various genres are set to entertain UWRF visitors. Among them are Bali-based rockabilly band the Hydrant, British hip-hop musician Akala and Indonesian Celtic music ensemble Celtic Room.

DeNeefe noticed a growing sense of belonging among Indonesians to UWRF.

“For instance, this year, we see a 10 percent increase in Indonesian visitors compared to last year and in the past few years, we have been able to maintain a 50-50 ratio between the local and international audience,” she said.

“The international visitors come mostly from Australia, mainly because it is so close to Indonesia and Australians love literary events,” she continued.

Aslan, who will talk about his book God: A Human History on Oct. 26, said he had been longing to visit Ubud for a long time.

“When I was in grad school, one of my best friends spent time in Ubud for almost a year and married a local there. Thus, I have wanted to go there for a very long time. When I’m not speaking in any panels, I would like to see the town itself, explore its coasts and jungles, culture and people,” Aslan told the Post in a phone interview.

Welsh — the author of 12 novels, including the international million-copy bestseller Trainspotting — underlined the role of cultural festivals like UWRF in maintaining the spirit of democracy.

“The more we have cultural exchange programs, the better we embed the idea of the democratic spirit,” the Scottish author said over the phone.

“When culture disappears, we become depressed, robotic and nonsense. The only time we’re free as humans is when we have festivals, be it music, literary, film or whatever.”

Echoing Welsh’s sentiment, Aslan believed that literary festivals played an essential role in young democracies like Indonesia.

“It is important for Indonesians to truly have an international conversation about what is currently at stake, not just for the national community but also the global world. Here, we will hear such discourses not just from writers but also thinkers of all sorts in an open dialog,” he said.