Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2014

Saraswati, Wisdom & Knowledge Hello friends, We’ve officially bid farewell to 2013 – a huge and exciting milestone for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival as we celebrated our 10th anniversary. Now we welcome in 2014, the year of the horse and also for the festival, the year of Saraswati, the Hindu patron goddess of learning. For five days from October 1–5, 2014 we will honour ‘Wisdom & Knowledge’, as manifested by the elegant goddess. In Hindu mythology the four-armed Saraswati stands atop a lotus, flanked by a swan and a peacock. Fittingly, when Balinese Hindus celebrate the Day of Saraswati, ritual offerings are placed on books – the earthly throne of the goddess. Being a festival of books, writers, and letters, it is truly appropriate for the UWRF to present Saraswati as its theme. It is also in line with the festival's tradition to introduce the local teachings and wisdom of Bali to the world. With that in mind, some of you may have noticed that our original festival dates have shifted slightly from October 8–12 to October 1–5. This is done with respect for a significant cultural event now set to take place in Ubud at the same time, the Karya Agung ceremony. This grand celebration at the Pura Gunung Lebah temple is a great opportunity for those interested in Bali’s own unique brand of Hinduism to enjoy this cultural highlight post-UWRF. That’s if a significant gathering of leading writers, thinkers, artists and performers from across Indonesia and all corners of the globe coming together to celebrate knowledge and the arts, education, wisdom and science wasn’t enough of an enticement! This innovative program will be revealed in mid-2014, but for now, lock those dates in your diaries and start planning your pathways to beautiful Ubud in October.