Where Stories and Flavors Meet: Janet De Neefe on Culture, Creativity, and the Soul of Bali
Every October, thousands of writers, thinkers, artists, and curious minds from around the world gather in the heart of Ubud. They come not only to exchange ideas, but to experience a place where stories transcend borders, cultures are celebrated, and meaningful conversations flourish. Behind this internationally acclaimed cultural movement stands one remarkable woman whose vision has helped redefine how the world discovers Indonesia, Janet DeNeefe.
An Australian by birth and a proud resident of Ubud for more than four decades, Janet has become one of Indonesia’s most influential cultural ambassadors. As an acclaimed author, restaurateur, cook, entrepreneur, and the visionary Founder and Director of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and the Ubud Food Festival, she has dedicated her life’s work to celebrating Indonesia’s extraordinary cultural richness through literature, food, and meaningful human connection. What began as a personal journey to Bali in 1984 evolved into a lifelong commitment to preserving, promoting, and sharing the soul of Indonesia with the world.
In 2004, inspired by hope in the aftermath of the devastating 2002 Bali bombings, Janet founded the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival as a cultural healing initiative to help restore confidence, revive tourism, and create a platform where Indonesian voices could stand alongside the world’s greatest writers.
More than two decades later, the festival has grown into one of the world’s premier literary gatherings and Southeast Asia’s leading celebration of words, ideas, and cross-cultural dialogue. Through its not-for-profit foundation, Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati, the Festival continues to champion Indonesian authors, nurture emerging writers, support educational programs for young people, and position Indonesia’s literary heritage firmly on the global stage.
Her vision did not stop with literature. In 2015, Janet founded the Ubud Food Festival, now widely recognised as Indonesia’s premier culinary festival, celebrating the nation’s remarkable gastronomic diversity while empowering local chefs, farmers, artisans, food producers, and culinary entrepreneurs.
For Janet, food is far more than cuisine, it is storytelling, history, identity, and cultural diplomacy expressed through every ingredient and every shared meal. Through both festivals, alongside her celebrated restaurants, cooking school, books, and cultural initiatives, she has helped transform Ubud into an internationally respected destination where creativity, heritage, and global conversations naturally converge.
In this exclusive conversation with me, Tania Maris (pen name GMora), Editor in Chief and writer of Indonesia Rising, Janet reflects on a remarkable journey spanning more than forty years in Indonesia. She shares the experiences that shaped her purpose, the leadership philosophy behind building world-renowned cultural institutions, and why she believes literature, food, education, and authentic storytelling possess the extraordinary power to build understanding across cultures.
She also offers thoughtful perspectives on creativity, community, cultural preservation, and Indonesia’s enduring place in an increasingly interconnected world.
This interview is part of Indonesia Rising‘s “Great Global Minds Who Contribute So Much for Indonesia” editorial series. The series celebrates visionary international leaders whose dedication, ideas, and lifelong commitment have made meaningful and lasting contributions to Indonesia. Their work continues to strengthen the nation’s development, elevate its global reputation, and enrich its cultural legacy.
Throughout the interview, I will be abbreviated as GM, while Janet DeNeefe will be referred to as JD.
A Life Inspired by Bali
GM: For more than three decades, you’ve helped introduce the richness of Bali to the world through food, literature, and cultural exchange. Looking back on your journey, what first inspired you to dedicate your life’s work to celebrating Indonesia’s cultural heritage?
JD: It wasn’t a grand plan. I first came to Bali as a young Australian woman in 1975 and simply fell in love with the place, the warmth of the people, the rituals and the way food, ceremony and community were never separate things. When I returned in 1984, I met my future husband on the second day. The cultural work came later, as a natural extension of loving a place and the people enough to want to share what makes it extraordinary.
GM: Many people know you as the founder of internationally acclaimed festivals, but behind every successful initiative is a deeply personal story. What has been the defining moment that shaped your purpose as a cultural entrepreneur?
JD: The defining moment was the 2002 Bali bombings. Watching the island I loved suffering, tourism gone overnight, everyone in shock, it is something I will never forget. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival grew out of that as a healing project, to reflower the community. We launched in 2004. Six days before our second festival in 2005, the second bombings happened, and that’s when I understood the festival wasn’t just a nice idea anymore. It was necessary. The Ubud Food Festival came later, in 2015, born simply from my love of Indonesian food.
Building Cultural Legacy
GM: The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival and Ubud Food Festival have become internationally respected platforms that bring together ideas, cultures, and communities. What vision has guided their growth, and what do you hope visitors take home beyond the experience itself?
JD: The vision has always been conversation across difference. Writers and readers, cooks and eaters, Indonesians and visitors, all in the same room, genuinely listening to each other. I hope people leave with more than a nice memory. I hope they leave with a wider view of the world, and a real curiosity about Indonesia beyond the postcard version of it.
GM: You’ve shown that culture can be a powerful driver of tourism, education, and economic opportunity. How can creative industries become an even greater force for sustainable development in Indonesia?
JD: By investing seriously in the people who make culture, not just the events that showcase it. That means fair pay for local writers, artists, and cooks, real infrastructure for creative education, and a tourism model that shares value with the communities that create the culture visitors come for in the first place. Sustainable development in this space isn’t about bigger festivals. It’s about deeper connections.
The Language of Food & Stories
GM: Food and storytelling both have a remarkable ability to connect people across cultures. Why do you believe these two universal languages are so powerful in building understanding and preserving heritage?
JD: Because both ask you to slow down and pay attention. A meal and a story both require you to sit still long enough to receive something from another person. Neither needs translation in the way you’d think. You can taste an unfamiliar dish or hear an unfamiliar story and still feel exactly what it’s trying to tell you.
GM: Indonesia’s culinary traditions are among the richest in the world, yet many remain undiscovered internationally. Which aspects of Indonesian cuisine do you believe deserve far greater global recognition, and why?
JD:The regional depth. People often think of Indonesian food as one thing, when really, it’s hundreds of distinct culinary traditions, each shaped by different islands, different histories, different spice routes. Balinese cuisine alone, with its ceremonial dishes and complex spice pastes, deserves the same global recognition that Thai or Vietnamese food has earned. There’s a whole world here that most people have barely tasted. Every time I travel around Indonesia, I am blown away by the variety.
GM: As a writer yourself, you’ve spent years encouraging people to tell their stories. What role does storytelling play in preserving cultural identity and inspiring future generations?
JD: Stories are how a culture remembers itself. Without them, traditions become museum pieces rather than living practices. When young Indonesian writers tell their own stories, in their own voices, on an international stage, it does something powerful: it insists that this culture isn’t a subject for others to interpret. It’s their own to define.
Leadership & Purpose
GM: Building internationally respected cultural institutions requires resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment. What leadership philosophy has helped you navigate this remarkable journey?
JD: Show up, stay stubborn and build a team you trust, then get out of their way as much as possible. I understood early on that I couldn’t do everything myself. The festivals exist because of the people around me who care about them as much as I do. Resilience isn’t about individual grit. It’s about building something collective that can outlast any one person’s energy on a given day.
GM: Many entrepreneurs today are searching for work that is both successful and meaningful. What advice would you give to those who hope to transform their passion into a lasting contribution to society?
JD: Start small and stay honest about why you’re doing it. If the motivation is genuine, the work will teach you what it needs to become. I didn’t set out to build festivals with international reputations. I set out to create a meaningful event for the place and people I loved. Let the scale come later, after the substance is real.
Indonesia’s Creative Future
GM: Indonesia possesses extraordinary cultural diversity and creative talent. What opportunities excite you most about the country’s future as a global destination for culture, literature, and gastronomy?
JD: The sheer volume of untapped talent. There are so many young writers, chefs, and artists across this archipelago who haven’t yet had a platform that matches their ability. As more of that work reaches international audiences, on its own terms, I think Indonesia has the potential to be recognised not just as a beautiful place to visit, but as a genuine creative force.
A Lasting Legacy
GM: When future generations look back on your work, what legacy do you hope the Ubud Food Festival, Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, and your broader contributions will have left for Indonesia and the world?
JD:I hope they’ll see that these platforms gave Indonesian voices room to be heard on their own terms, not as a curiosity for outsiders, but as a genuine contribution to global culture. And I hope the institutions keep evolving long after I’m no longer the one steering them. That’s the real measure of whether something has become a legacy rather than just a project.
GM: Lastly, if there is one message you would like every reader to remember about your brands, Bali, creativity, and the power of human connection, what would it be?
JD: Take a seat at the table. Whatever divides us, there’s almost always a way back to each other through a shared meal or a shared story. That’s what I’ve built my life around, and it still feels as true today as it did in 1984.
GM
Since making Ubud her home in 1984, Janet DeNeefe has become one of Indonesia’s most influential cultural ambassadors. Through literature, cuisine, hospitality, and internationally acclaimed festivals, she has helped introduce Bali’s rich cultural heritage to the world. Explore her businesses, publications, festivals, and cultural initiatives here:
Indus Art Space
