Rhandir Khare (left), Festival Director Janet de Neeve, and Michael Ondaatje.
It's not very often, when attending a literary festival, that your bag gets searched and you get the body scanner and the full pat down, but this is what happened to the hundreds of invited guests at the launch of the 2nd Ubud Writers and Readers Festival last Friday night.
Coming less than a week after the October 2nd 2005 bombings which killed 22 and injured 130 on this holiday island of Bali, security at the Ubud Palace was understandably tight as dignitaries from Jakarta mixed with local and international writers.
In responding to the tragedy of the previous week festival director Janet De Neeve said that she was determined to continue with the festival which was established initially in response to the October 2002 bombings. "The idea was heal the wounds" by the power of words," she said.
But Friday night was about ceremony and celebration, and although overlaid with a solemn air, the participants all spoke of their strong commitment to make the festival a success. The guests included Timor Leste President Xanana Gusmao and First Lady Kirsty Gusmao; Booker Prize winner Michael Ondaatje and award winning Indian writer Amitav Ghosh. The official launch began with a glittering dance of welcome, performed by a dozen Balinese women in their traditional costume. In her opening remarks Kirsty Gusmao spoke of the recent tragedy and said that although she would never condone terrorism, it was unsurprising in a world where the gap between the rich and the devastatingly poor was increasing every day. She reminded the guests that ten years ago her husband, now President of the world\rquote s newest nation, had been a freedom fighter (or a terrorist depending on which side you were on), and she was a best a sympathiser. However she concluded by saying, "We come here to Bali to show our solidarity, our friendship and trust of the people of Bali" . Her husband, looking surprising relaxed, presented gifts of traditional Timorese weaving, and busied himself taking photographs of the evening.
The town of Ubud, about an hour\rquote s drive from the better known coastal tourist strip of Kuta and Legian was once a quiet agrarian village, and even now is a special destination for visitors looking for cultural and spiritual enlightenment rather than a raging nightlife. It has always been surrounded by vivid green rice fields and stunning ravines and today it is home to numerous writers, painters and dancers, and among its twisting streets there are many galleries, cafes and shops that showcase this art. Ubud seems to be somewhat isolated from the latest atrocities. Back on the coast there is still a palpable sense of shock and sorrow at last Saturday's bombing. Having spent three years rebuilding the tourist industry it is the ordinary Balinese \endash the drivers, cleaners and taxi drivers who foresee loss of jobs and livelihoods as the inbound cancellations mount and the faint-hearted scramble for home.
The launch of the four-day 2005 Ubud Writers and Readers Festival concluded with the traditional Barong Dance, (a mythical dragon-like figure), performed to unite the village and protect it from any negative forces. Director De Neeve said, "The festival is sending a strong message to the world that we are here to deliver a message of peace". Both Bali and Janet De Neeve will need all the support they can muster from the outside world if Bail is to survive and De Neeve is to continue her outstanding festivals.
Derek Dryden is the current President of the Australian Booksellers Association and owner of Sydney independent bookstore Better Read Than Dead.