The National Arts Council (NAC), in partnership with SMRT Trains and Stellar Ace, has launched Poems on the MRT. From now till 30 October 2025, Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) network will be transformed into a moving library of local poetry, offering commuters a unique opportunity to experience the richness of Singaporean Literature (Sing Lit) in their daily commute.

Produced by local literary non-profit organisation Sing Lit Station (SLS), Poems on the MRT aims to inspire appreciation for Sing Lit and local literary talent by spotlighting a diverse array of local poets and poems. The initiative will feature excerpts from more than 100 Sing Lit poems in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil in trains on the East-West, North-South and Circle Lines; a special concept train that is fully dressed in an eye-catching train wrap; animated videos created by local artists; and video interviews with local poets sharing their inspirations and more in stations and on trains – offering a multilingual literary experience that celebrates the city’s cultural diversity.

The selection of poems is the result of prominent voices from the literary community coming together with Sing Lit Station to co-curate beautiful, uplifting, and contemplative excerpts of Singapore poetry. The team consisted of A. Inbha, Annaliza Bakri, Farihan Bahron, Joshua Ip, Noridah Kamari, Paul Tan, TrendLit Publishing, Yeow Kai Chai and Zhou Decheng, with special thanks to K. Kanagalatha who provided guidance and advice during the curation process. The works showcase Singapore’s diverse literary heritage across generations and poetic styles, from Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients to emerging writers. 

Through English translations that are displayed alongside Chinese, Malay and Tamil poems, the beauty of Sing Lit and its multilingual facets can be enjoyed by all members of the public. Translations were done by Alfian Sa’at, Annaliza Bakri, Irawan Gani, Joshua Ip, Shelly Bryant and Sulosana Karthigasu, who provided their expertise in ensuring the accessibility of the translated language while maintaining the essence of the original poems. The full list of poems and translations are available at go.gov.sg/potm, and commuters can easily access them by scanning the QR codes on train panels. 

Fiona Chan, Chair and Station Director, SLS said, “Poetry has the power to transport its readers beyond the everyday. By embedding Singapore poetry on MRT journeys, Sing Lit Station aims to elevate the daily commute and showcase our rich literary landscape in bite-sized, accessible passages. We hope Poems on the MRT will inspire and intrigue commuters to find out more about our local poets, and the light that their work sheds on our unique Singapore culture at the end of each tunnel.”

During the campaign launch period (1 November to 31 December 2024), members of the public can also participate in the Poems on the MRT Bingo Competition on the website (go.gov.sg/potm) and Sing Lit Station’s social media pages. Participants can download a digital copy of the bingo card, photograph three poems on the MRT panels that fit the card’s various categories and upload their submissions via a Google Form. The first three complete submissions will win an attractive prize of a Kobo reader preloaded with Sing Lit titles. 

Poems on the MRT is one of the three initiatives as part of NAC and SMRT’s three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) launched in 2023 to enliven spaces of commute through the arts. This poetry initiative complements the ongoing I Play SG Music campaign as it brings homegrown music to commuters, featuring 140 local artists till date. These efforts are in support of NAC’s Our SG Arts Plan (2023 – 2027) to allow all to encounter and experience Singapore’s unique arts and culture in everyday spaces including ArtsEverywhere@CDC that offers residents a regular pipeline of arts experiences to communities in the heartlands.

Aruna Johnson, Director, Arts Ecosystem Group (Literary Arts), NAC said, “We are delighted to work with our partners, SMRT, Stellar Ace and Sing Lit Station who share in the vision to connect our communities through the arts. We hope that Poems on the MRT will offer commuters moments of beauty, respite, romance, contemplation and good humour to inspire their everyday. May they enjoy the poems, presented in our four official languages with accompanying English translations, and get to know the poets who make up our thriving, multicultural literary landscape.”

Mr Tjhin Poi Chung, Deputy Managing Director of Stellar Ace, said, “This partnership enhances the commuting experience, complementing SMRT’s efforts to bring vibrancy to public transport spaces. As a media partner, we are proud to support this meaningful and innovative campaign through our wide-reaching multimedia advertising channels. By featuring local poetry in both physical and digital formats, we offer commuters the opportunity to engage with and appreciate the arts in ways that resonate with them personally.”  

Mr Darryl David, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ang Mo Kio GRC and Deputy Chair of Government Parliamentary Committees for Education and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth who attended as Guest of Honour for the launch event said, “I am delighted to be at the launch of Poems on the MRT, an initiative by NAC, in partnership with SMRT Trains, Stellar Ace, and brought to life by SLS. With over 100 poetry excerpts in our four national languages, everyone can access Sing Lit through bite-size content, making the richness of Singapore’s multilingual literary heritage visible. I encourage Singaporeans to immerse themselves in the literary worlds that local poetry will bring to their daily commutes.” 

Photo Credit: Sing Lit Station

For more information on Poems on the MRT and the full list of featured poems, visit go.gov.sg/potm