The current zeitgeist moves at a pace never before seen. Information is at the mercy of our fingertips, and global currents move at an urgent breakneck speed. Intrigued by this dynamic shift, the Singapore Writers Festival invites you to peek, probe and reimagine our current world through the lens of literature. Themed ‘Shape of Things to Come’, this year’s edition sparks conversation on the future and the potential power our hands yield in shaping it.
An experiential line-up awaits—speakers from both the global and local landscape join hands for creative collaboration that span across genres, cultures and language. Encompassing panel discussions, participatory workshops and exhibitions, it interrogates identity, technology and nationhood as we know it while simultaneously putting our first foot forward in the next collective chapter. “As Singapore celebrates 60 years of independence, we ask ourselves: ‘What will our world look like in another 60 years?’ In a time of rapid change, whether shaped by technology or global currents, the Festival creates a space to reflect, wonder and move forward with courage and optimism on our shared journey of discovery,” quips festival director Yong Shu Hoong.
Festivalgoers can look forward to hearing from an acclaimed panel, from R.F. Kuang, best known for The Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History, to poets Raymond Antrobus and Victoria Chang, winners of The Forward Prize for Poetry. With over 200 programmes that imagine our future and reframe our role in it, these key events offer insightful perspectives on contemporary conversations.
Beyond the Ivory Tower
Headline presenter R.F. Kuang unpacks her newest novel Katabasis, descending into its themes of academic survival and institutional crisis. A fellow academic herself, with a Master’s in Chinese Studies in Cambridge and Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford, she delves into the significance of academia in today’s society, and its role against political and economic pressures through the lens of fantasy world-building.
Beyond The Ivory Tower takes place on 8 November, from 5pm to 6pm at Victoria Theatre.
The Shadow of Things to Come
Discover the unseen sides of Singapore’s iconic national monuments through a lens of folklore and literature. Walk alongside storyteller Hafidz Rahman as he tells of eerie tales rooted in Malay supernatural traditions, right at the places where it all happened. Blending real-life personal accounts with an atmospheric narrative, a spine-chilling experience awaits.
The Shadow of Things to Come takes place on 14 and 15 November, from 8pm to 9.15pm at The Arts House.
We Already Live Inside Poems (Whether You Read Them or Not)
Think poetry isn’t for you? This keynote vouches otherwise–and that you’re already practising it. Poet and educator Pooja Nansi delves into poetry as a living practice, making the case that it’s more than a form of literature—it is a language we carry with us wherever we go. Here, poetry is an action available to all of us, changing how we can see the world.
We Already Live Inside Poems (Whether You Read Them or Not) takes place on 15 November, from 11am to 12pm at The Arts House.
The Salon with Fuchsia Dunlop
Food writer Fuchsia Dunlop shares vivid tales from her time spent in China, where her senses were ignited by a plethora of rare regional dishes. With experience at Sichuan’s renowned cooking school, she delves into how food has a poignant connection to memory, a bridge for building relationships and a way to honour rich tradition. Created in collaboration with Belimbing by The Coconut Club, discover what makes Chinese cuisine truly extraordinary.
The Salon with Fuchsia Dunlop takes place on 9 November, from 7pm to 9pm at Belimbing.
Bookprints of a Nation: Singapore Publishing Across Languages
A panel of language consultants come together to explore the role publishers play in nurturing our literary voices—from pioneering figures in the local literature scene to the books that carry stories across generations, while navigating the nuances of Singapore’s multilingual and multicultural landscape. The speakers reflect on the collaborative effort needed between publishers and institutions to collectively preserve and reimagine language and identity. This session is part of Singapore Writers Festival’s newest festival track ‘SG60 Homage’, an initiative that pays tribute to Singapore’s rich literary history in all four official languages, from the era of independence to present day.
Bookprints of a Nation: Singapore Publishing Across Languages takes place on 8 November, from 5pm to 6pm at The Arts House.
The 28th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival will take place from 7 to 16 November. All information regarding Singapore Writers Festival tickets can be found on their website.
