Singapore Writers Festival returns in November 2021

The 2020 Singapore Writers Festival drew to a close just last November in its first ever digital edition, but it’s already gearing up for its 2021 edition this year. The 2020 edition saw an extraordinary 20-day line-up of over 160 programmes by more than 200 authors and presenters from Singapore and beyond. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), the festival brought together homegrown and … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival returns in November 2021

Review: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy

There’s never been a literary festival quite like the 2020 Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), thanks to the ongoing pandemic. With travel restrictions preventing international stars flying in and social distancing measures in place across venues, it didn’t make sense to hold live events. Still, with all the efforts that went into planning the festival, it didn’t make sense to cancel it. Which is precisely why … Continue reading Review: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy

By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 reveals more international authors, including Margaret Atwood and Naomi Klein

The 23rd Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) will see 10 international headliners in its upcoming digital edition, a record-breaking number in festival history. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC), the multilingual literary festival brings together writers, thinkers and audiences from Singapore and around the world to explore the theme of ‘Intimacy’ through words and stories in this time of distancing. This edition embodies the festival’s … Continue reading By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 reveals more international authors, including Margaret Atwood and Naomi Klein

By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy (Preview)

If it’s one thing we’ve learnt during Singapore’s circuit breaker lockdown, it’s that there’s nothing more comforting to distract you from the terrors of the COVID-19 pandemic than curling up with a good book. And one book we did love reading during this time was acclaimed essayist and novelist Zadie Smith’s new writing Intimations, in which the beloved author details her thoughts and reflections on time … Continue reading By The Book: Singapore Writers Festival 2020 – Intimacy (Preview)

Singapore Writers Festival 2019: Bad Feminist Roxane Gay Speaks About Bodies, Pop Culture and the Importance of Media Literacy

Roxane Gay is an icon for our times. Big, black, queer and intellectual, Roxane rounded off the final weekend of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) with a number of talks and events surrounding her work. Best known for her bestselling essay collection Bad Feminist and memoir Hunger, Roxane’s writing deals primarily with issues of identity, femininity (or society’s expectations of it) and how our views of the world have … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019: Bad Feminist Roxane Gay Speaks About Bodies, Pop Culture and the Importance of Media Literacy

Singapore Writers Festival 2019 Closes with Literary Stars and Contemporary Topics, Marking New Festival Director Pooja Nansi’s Inaugural Edition

The 22nd edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) concluded on 10 November after a stellar 10-day line-up of literary events and programmes headlined by influential Singapore and international writers, speakers and thinkers. Organised by the National Arts Council (NAC) to champion and grow appreciation for literary arts and culture in Singapore, the theme “A Language of Our Own” explores the ways in which verbal, … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019 Closes with Literary Stars and Contemporary Topics, Marking New Festival Director Pooja Nansi’s Inaugural Edition

Singapore Writers Festival 2019: An Interview with Min Jin Lee, Author of Pachinko and Free Food For Millionaires

“I like writing because I don’t like talking very much,” says author Min Jin Lee. “I was really one of those quiet Asian kids as a child, and it was something I had to work through when I realised that in America, if you don’t know how to talk well, people will think you’re stupid, and I definitely didn’t want people to think that about … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019: An Interview with Min Jin Lee, Author of Pachinko and Free Food For Millionaires

Singapore Writers Festival 2019: Festival Debate – This House Believes That Men Are Ruining Feminism

In the grand tradition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), the ever-popular Festival Debate segment saw a full house at the Arts House Chamber, a historically appropriate venue (as a former space for Parliament to debate policies) to stage it. While still ostensibly taking on the same format as previous editions, something about this edition felt somewhat different, in part perhaps because of the motion … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019: Festival Debate – This House Believes That Men Are Ruining Feminism

Singapore Writers Festival 2019: On the Nature of Language with Marlon James’ SWF Prologue and Pico Iyer’s Beyond Borders, Beyond Words

Opening weekend of the 2019 Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) has kicked off to a great start – helmed by some key anchor events and highlights, it’s no surprise to see various venues filled and buzzing with activity as the Civic District came awash with literary activity and a swarm of local and international writers gathering in Singapore. Perhaps one of the most anticipated authors of … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019: On the Nature of Language with Marlon James’ SWF Prologue and Pico Iyer’s Beyond Borders, Beyond Words

Singapore Writers Festival 2019: The Festival Opens + A Bigger Party Than Expected (Review)

The 22nd edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), was officially opened at the National Gallery Singapore earlier this evening by Guest of Honour, Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The opening ceremony saw Ms Sim reflecting on the literary arts as an important expression of the Singaporean identity, and how the … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2019: The Festival Opens + A Bigger Party Than Expected (Review)