Preview: Singapore Writers Festival 2018 – 界 (jiè)

The 21st edition of the National Arts Council’s annual Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns for two weekends this November. After last year’s theme of Aram, this year’s festival is themed around the Mandarin theme 界 (jiè), alluding to how stories can express “the world(s) we live in” and help us better understand our individual and shared experiences as the festival comes to bring various communities together to … Continue reading Preview: Singapore Writers Festival 2018 – 界 (jiè)

Singapore Writers Festival 2017 Closing Debate: This House believes that Kiasuism is a Good Singaporean Trait

In its traditional stand-up comedy routine form, the closing debate of the Singapore Writers Festival had audiences falling off their chairs laughing through the 90 minute show. Ironically, this only proved that the ‘kiasu-ism’ displayed by over 600 people queuing over six hours for free entry tickets to the debate was worth it after all. The debate closed the 20th Singapore Writers festival last Sunday … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2017 Closing Debate: This House believes that Kiasuism is a Good Singaporean Trait

When Fiction Becomes Fact: Sci-fi and the Fate of Humanity by Ken Liu (Singapore Writers Festival 2017)

If science fiction is almost always wrong, why read it in the first place? That is a position that author Ken Liu often finds himself defending to the sci-fi skeptics. And certainly, one the Harvard Law School graduate does so beautifully in his entertaining and eloquent lecture on the power of science fiction last Sunday at the Arts House Chamber. Having won multiple Hugo Awards, … Continue reading When Fiction Becomes Fact: Sci-fi and the Fate of Humanity by Ken Liu (Singapore Writers Festival 2017)

Singapore Writers Festival 2017: We Can be Heroes, Just For One Day

Eight writers from the UK, Ireland, Iran, Australia and Singapore gathered in the Arts House Chamber and celebrated their personal heroes tonight through the written word. Moderated by poet Marc Nair who described the Singapore Writers Festival reading-and- performance event as “a dessert buffet” of sorts, the strong line-up of artists indeed dished out a feast of tantalizing treats for all, with an assortment of flavours … Continue reading Singapore Writers Festival 2017: We Can be Heroes, Just For One Day

Preview: Singapore Writers Festival 2017 – Aram

Celebrating its 20th edition this year, the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) makes a triumphant return this November, bigger and better than ever, with plenty of high profile international speakers, exciting workshops and unmissable launches! From its inception in 1986, the SWF has since grown to become on of Asia’s top literary events. In both profiling home-grown writers and bringing in celebrities of the international literary … Continue reading Preview: Singapore Writers Festival 2017 – Aram