The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival in Bali has announced its 2026 theme: Samarasa. Drawn from Sanskrit philosophy, the theme encompasses awareness, empathy and action.
Festival founder and director Janet DeNeefe said: “We will reflect on how thought, feeling and action can exist in harmony, with awareness bringing clarity, empathy building connection, and action turning insight into purpose.”
The festival will take place from October 21 to 25, 2026. Full event passes are available at ubudwritersfestival.com/tickets.
This year’s festival artwork is by young Balinese artist Wayan Aris Sarmanta, who paints in the Batuan style, a distinctive Balinese style that creates dense, intricate and atmospheric scenes.
A three-day intensive retreat for writers of all levels will be led by award-winning author Peter Godwin. The retreat is aimed at writers working on memoir, autobiographical fiction or narrative non-fiction.
