2018
Still lagging behind with Day 3
30 October 2018
All the fun and games over now and time to recuperate! It’s been the most marvellous festival but we could not have gone on much longer without total collapse. Hopefully in the coming few days before I head home I will have time to answer some of your very welcome emails personally. But still some festival news to share before I do that.
Back to Day 3. The afternoon saw the launch of the anthology and I finally got to meet my writers. Two lovely young people of the five who were selected out of 900 to come to the festival this year and have their stories translated. Another more established writer from West Papua whose works I have translated for the second time is also here. It was a much shorter and simpler launch than in some years, but lovely nevertheless, and at the end of a long hot day I did not linger for the snacks. Desperate for a rest before the evening event in town (might not have gone to it if it had not been three minutes walk from Puri Saraswati.)
Back to Day 3. The afternoon saw the launch of the anthology and I finally got to meet my writers. Two lovely young people of the five who were selected out of 900 to come to the festival this year and have their stories translated. Another more established writer from West Papua whose works I have translated for the second time is also here. It was a much shorter and simpler launch than in some years, but lovely nevertheless, and at the end of a long hot day I did not linger for the snacks. Desperate for a rest before the evening event in town (might not have gone to it if it had not been three minutes walk from Puri Saraswati.)
It was a performance by an Indian poet, a woman who had been a remarkable contributor the #MeToo panel a few days ago, at the end of which she recited her very powerful poem, “The Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods”. In the evening performance she wore a dramatic tribal costume and used her hands and body movements to complement the mesmeric poems, one of which was an hilarious one called “Dirty Dancing” about the crush her 14-year old self had had on Patrick Swayze. She was a real hit. An Indonesian writer I know was to follow, performing her works too, but when they announced there was to be a 45-minute break I was off back home to bed!
There were endless films, book launches, exhibitions, performances, etc., on in the evenings and in competition with the main daytime program, but I found enough to satisfy me in the daily sessions - only attended a couple of these additional events. One could come to the festival and just attend these free events and have a wonderful time without following the panels and interviews of the main program, but I can’t bear to miss them. It is hard enough choosing from the simultaneous offerings of the three venues. It is obvious that the festival is becoming just as much a platform for issues-based discussions by writers as it is for discussions on literature. I went to very few literary sessions as it turns out, but did hear great writers like Hanif Kureishi and Fatima Bhutto, and a panel on which the young Indonesian writers featured. As Pam pointed out, this appeared to be a festival of feisty women, who were more dominant than the male writers present, if not necessarily greater in number.
Right now I am enjoying my slow day - a nostalgic 9 am coffee with Jeffrey at “Josh’s table” at the front at Casa Luna. A Palestinian refugee poet joined us - had met him yesterday but no chance to talk properly then. He sought asylum and was granted it in Sweden ten years ago. But wants to re-seek asylum in Bali from Sweden’s bleak dark winters! A larger than life fellow! Spends much of the year going from one writers festival to another to avoid being domiciled in Sweden for any length of time. His name is Ghayath Almadhoun. Wish I had heard him read or talk now.
Right now I am enjoying my slow day - a nostalgic 9 am coffee with Jeffrey at “Josh’s table” at the front at Casa Luna. A Palestinian refugee poet joined us - had met him yesterday but no chance to talk properly then. He sought asylum and was granted it in Sweden ten years ago. But wants to re-seek asylum in Bali from Sweden’s bleak dark winters! A larger than life fellow! Spends much of the year going from one writers festival to another to avoid being domiciled in Sweden for any length of time. His name is Ghayath Almadhoun. Wish I had heard him read or talk now.
Have had a refreshing swim and read my novel by the pool and am now awaiting a special visitor. Ibu Agung is coming to see me – you will remember she looked after Josh and his houses for ten years, going with him whenever he moved. A good friend to me too. There will be tears from both of us.
And later today a scrabble game with Anna before dinner. Quite a change of pace for a frantic festival fiend like me, wouldn’t you say?
Off to Sanur tomorrow - a couple of days in a big seaside resort hotel where Barbara is staying. Turns out we both fly home on the same Garuda flight on Thursday night. Will be a bit of a shock after peaceful Puri Saraswati, but I love to see the sea when I am in Bali. Petra, with whom I had planned to spend these last few days is in Sydney, visiting Jazz after a work-related visit to the Gold Coast in Oz. Sleeping in my bed! Lovely for mother and daughter to be together. (I just spoke to Josh and he has voted Jazz a day off school!)
So still more festival news to come. Just hang in there and it will eventually turn up.
Obviously someone works round here! Not me! Not this week!
And later today a scrabble game with Anna before dinner. Quite a change of pace for a frantic festival fiend like me, wouldn’t you say?
Off to Sanur tomorrow - a couple of days in a big seaside resort hotel where Barbara is staying. Turns out we both fly home on the same Garuda flight on Thursday night. Will be a bit of a shock after peaceful Puri Saraswati, but I love to see the sea when I am in Bali. Petra, with whom I had planned to spend these last few days is in Sydney, visiting Jazz after a work-related visit to the Gold Coast in Oz. Sleeping in my bed! Lovely for mother and daughter to be together. (I just spoke to Josh and he has voted Jazz a day off school!)
So still more festival news to come. Just hang in there and it will eventually turn up.
Obviously someone works round here! Not me! Not this week!