Rio Christiawan Raises Sustainability Issues Through Storytelling at UWRF 2026
Best-selling author, academic, and law and sustainability expert Rio Christiawan addressed sustainability issues through his participation in the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) 2026. The festival, one of South-east Asia’s leading literary events, took place in Ubud, Bali, from 21 to 25 October 2026.
Rio took part in the final three days of the festival, using literature to explore life, education and environmental sustainability.
His programme included an interactive storytelling session with children, encouraging them to care about environmental issues from an early age; the launch of his latest non-fiction book, Labirin Cromboloni, which reflects philosophically on everyday life; and a discussion with international environmental experts on the power of stories to drive social change and conservation.
The three events highlighted how literature can serve not only as entertainment but also as a way to convey ideas, introduce values and connect communities with social and environmental challenges.
At the international panel discussion, titled “Stories that Spark Change”, on 25 October 2026 at Indus Restaurant in Ubud, Rio appeared alongside David Lindenmayer, an Australian professor and expert in forest ecology and biodiversity conservation, and Belgis Habiba, an environmental activist and Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Indonesia. The discussion was moderated by Amanda Katili Niode, a writer and climate change communications advocate.
The panel considered how literature, scientific research and activism can improve public understanding and prompt practical action on social and environmental issues. As an academic and legal expert who writes both fiction and non-fiction, Rio offered a perspective on the relationship between law, sustainability and the power of storytelling to communicate environmental justice issues.
Rio also discussed his book Crombo & Loni: Sahabat dari Hutan as an example of how literature can communicate sustainability to the public, particularly younger generations.
Through storytelling, messages about environmental conservation can be brought closer to readers’ own experiences while fostering an emotional connection to the issues being explored.
“I wrote Crombo & Loni: Sahabat dari Hutan as an environmental education campaign, starting with facts about forest damage and its effects on wildlife. Through the characters of two young elephants, Crombo and Loni, I want to address deforestation, biodiversity conservation and the importance of protecting natural habitats in a creative and imaginative way that remains logical and easy for children to understand,” Rio said in a statement on Monday (26 October 2026).
“I believe that tackling forest destruction and climate change is a long-term process, and that the children who hear this story will one day become part of the solution to protecting the environment,” he added.
Rio also highlighted how fiction and non-fiction can complement one another in communicating environmental issues. Fiction can foster empathy through narrative and characters’ experiences, while non-fiction provides facts, analysis and arguments to deepen public understanding of sustainability challenges.
Earlier, during the programme “A Storytelling Adventure with Rio Christiawan” at SD Negeri 1 Ubud on 23 October 2026, Rio introduced Crombo & Loni: Sahabat dari Hutan in an interactive storytelling session. The book follows the friendship between two young elephants, Crombo and Loni, and two human children, Babas and Majoli. It was used to introduce children to friendship, empathy, forest conservation and wildlife protection from an early age.
Rio also invited pupils to interact and develop their imaginations through storytelling. The session demonstrated how children’s literature can be used as an educational medium to introduce conservation in a simple, engaging and accessible way.
“I believe stories have the power to shape how children understand the world around them. Through Crombo & Loni, I want to introduce friendship, empathy and care for the environment in a way that connects with their imaginations. I hope children will not only enjoy the story, but also grow up aware that nature and all the creatures in it need to be protected together,” Rio said.
On 24 October 2026, Rio launched his latest non-fiction book, Labirin Cromboloni, at Cucu Betutu in Ubud. The book offers philosophical reflections drawn from everyday experiences, including travel, friendship and loss, as sources of meaning in life.
The book uses the cromboloni, a pastry combining a croissant and a bomboloni, as a metaphor for the human journey. Just as a cromboloni has distinctive layers, life is shaped by experiences, successes, failures and events that influence a person’s character and outlook.
Through the book, Rio suggests that philosophical thought need not be expressed only through complex theory; it can also be found in ordinary experiences close to everyday life.
“With Labirin Cromboloni, I want to invite readers to see that life does not always follow a straight line. Many layers of experience shape who we are today, including simple things that often go unnoticed. I believe every experience has meaning, and through literature we can find new ways to understand and make sense of life’s journey,” Rio said.
Through the three programmes, Rio demonstrated that literature can reach a wide range of audiences, from children to academic communities and environmental advocates.
His participation in UWRF 2026 also underscored the role of Indonesian writers in producing work and ideas that enrich literary life while contributing to education, social awareness and efforts to build a more sustainable future.