5 Writers to Watch at the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival in Bali

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival

In two weeks, readers and writers will converge in Ubud for a four-day celebration of creativity and storytelling. From 29 October to 2 November, travel to the cultural capital of beautiful Bali for the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival and listen to your favourite writers share their inspiration and creative process. Here are five top writers attending this year’s festival and a selection of their books.

Pico Iyer is a British-born essayist and travel writer, known for his insightful and introspective works on global culture, travel, and identity. Born Siddharth Pico Raghavan Iyer in 1957 to Indian parents in Oxford, England, he was educated at Eton, Oxford, and Harvard. His writing often explores themes of displacement, belonging, and the intersections of cultures in a globalized world.

Iyer has authored numerous books, including Video Night in Kathmandu (1988), The Global Soul (2000), and The Art of Stillness (2014), blending personal narrative with philosophical reflections. His essays and articles have appeared in publications like Time, The New York Times, and National Geographic. He’s also known for his TED Talks and his long-standing connection to Japan, where he has lived part-time since the 1980s.

David Van Reybrouck, born in 1971 in Bruges, Belgium, is a cultural historian, archaeologist, philosopher, and author. His interest in the Congo stems from his father’s work there. Educated at KU Leuven, Cambridge, and Leiden, he founded the G1000 Citizens’ Assembly in 2011. As of 2025, he’s Philosopher Laureate for the Netherlands and Flanders, received the Goethe Medal, and lives in Brussels and Kyoto.

His notable works include Congo: The Epic History of a People (2015), a finalist for the Cundill Prize, and Revolusi (2021), shortlisted for major awards. Against Elections (2016) advocates for citizen assemblies. His 2025 essay The World and the Earth explores environmental ethics.

Jenny Erpenbeck, born in 1967 in East Berlin, is a German novelist, playwright, and opera director from a literary family. Trained as a bookbinder and in theater at Humboldt University and Hanns Eisler Conservatory, her work explores East German history and displacement. A key figure in contemporary literature, she lives in Berlin with her husband, director Wolfgang Bozic.

Her notable works include The Old Child (1999), Visitation (2008), and The End of Days (2012), which won the 2015 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. Go, Went, Gone (2015) tackles the refugee crisis, and Kairos (2021), about an East German romance, won the 2024 International Booker Prize.

Shiori Itō, born in 1989 in Kanagawa, Japan, is a journalist, filmmaker, and activist focused on gender equality. After studying journalism in New York, she accused journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi of rape in 2015, sparking Japan's #MeToo movement. Winning a civil suit in 2019, she was named to Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2020 and received the One Young World Journalist of the Year award in 2022. She co-founded Hanashi Films and lives between Japan and abroad.

Her works include the memoir Black Box (2017), detailing her assault case, and the documentary Black Box Diaries (2024), which won a Peabody Award and an Oscar nomination. She has also produced Yuparo: My Beautiful Dying City and Temple Family (2021). Her journalism appears in BBC, Al Jazeera, and The Economist.

William Dalrymple, born in 1965 in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a Scottish historian, travel writer, and critic. Educated at Cambridge, he has lived in Delhi since the 1980s. A Fellow of multiple royal societies, he co-founded the Jaipur Literature Festival and co-hosts the Empire podcast. He received the British Academy's President's Medal in 2018.

His notable books include In Xanadu (1989), City of Djinns (1993), White Mughals (2002), The Last Mughal (2006), Return of a King (2013), The Anarchy (2019), and The Golden Road (2024), blending history and travel with awards like the Wolfson and Duff Cooper Prizes.

The Transformative Power of Storytelling

As the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival approaches, excitement builds for the conversations that will unfold in Bali’s cultural heart. Each of these remarkable writers, from Pico Iyer’s thoughtful explorations of belonging to Shiori Itō’s courageous pursuit of truth, reflects the belief that stories can bridge worlds and inspire change.

Framed by Ubud’s rich artistic spirit, the festival becomes more than a gathering of writers and readers. It is a celebration of creativity, connection, and the enduring ability of words to shape our understanding of the world.

For the official Festival website click here

Want to read more? The Literary Traveller: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2025. 7 Best Luxury Hotels & Resorts in Bali. Yoga in Bali - Why the Island Is a Spiritual Powerhouse. 5 Best Restaurants in Bali for an Unforgettable Culinary Experience.

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