If you’re all about the write stuff, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s edition of the Singapore Writers Festival.
Time flies when you’re having fun; in the blink of an eye, we’re already in 2023’s final quarter. While we’re all excited for Halloween, Deepavali, and the holly jolly season, there’s another event we’re massively looking forward to: the 26th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival. (Well, that’s a given, since we’re writers and all…) This year’s festival, held from 17 to 26 November 2023, is all about embracing the weird and wonderful. Here’s everything you should know about the event.
What to expect at the Singapore Writers Festival 2023
Get ready for the plot twist
No spoilers here, but brace yourself and expect the unexpected when the festival returns next month. Festivalgoers will be unpacking familiar genres and themes through exciting and immersive programmes, so come with an open mind and be curious. “What happens when you put together things that don’t have anything in common with one another?” That question will be answered throughout the two-week event.
Watch out for curveballs
One key highlight everyone should look forward to is 50 Years of Bars, Flows and Beats, which celebrates five decades of hip hop culture and features music critics, rappers, musicians, and cultural historians in action. This includes the one-time exclusive We Never Thought Hip Hop Would Bring It This Far, where five writers will spit bars and vibe with a live DJ in response to their favourite hip hop songs throughout the years. Little ones can learn more about the iconic genre and come up with their own lines at Fresh Raps: Create Your Own Hip-Hop Alter Ego with BGourd.
Do you love surprises? Then sign up for Unexpected Pairings, a programme with zero details provided. All we know is that it has one secret topic and two mystery writers – there’s no guarantee how everything will play out! Speaking of surprises, another performance festivalgoers should anticipate is Festival Community Karaoke. Here’s where writers will serenade you with songs, drawing the festivity to a melodic close. Warm up your throat and get ready to warble along with them!
There are also plenty of community-led initiatives taking place during the Singapore Writers Festival 2023. We can’t wait for Bubble Bubble, Toil and Battle: A Powerpoint Karaoke, where five presenters challenge each other in a battle of wits through presentations they’re not prepared for. If you’re into the supernatural, join Singaporean ghost hunter Noel Boyd as he recounts his paranormal adventures in They’re Here… Oh, there’s also a walking tour, which explores both familiar and lesser-known places such as Bukit Brown and Chinatown. We know which programmes we’re definitely signing up for!
Sports fanatics should sit in for the panel discussion Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Writing the Combat Sports Narrative, which features athletes such as Royston Wee, Singapore’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter, Amanda Chan, WBC Asia Featherweight Champion, and Jed Foo, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion who lives with an eye disorder. They’ll talk about wins and losses, and how martial arts and the literary arts are unexpectedly connected.
Time to celebrate the word
As with past festivals, this year’s edition also features programmes in Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, which are curated by key members of the language communities. Travel writer Yap Seow Choong leads the Chinese language programmes; Malay language programmes are helmed by poet and musician Aqmal Noor; and Chitra Ramesh, writer and president of local Tamil readers’ circle Vassagar Vattam, heads the Tamil language programmes.
Hip hop isn’t the only music genre that’s getting attention at the Singapore Writers Festival 2023. The Story of Punk Rock and Poetry, a performance lecture by American-based touring artists Chris Bernstorf and Kyeong Mo, spotlights the colliding worlds of the two topics; the duo will also share their personal stories during the session.
For the young, you’re definitely not left out of the festivity. The returning SWF Youth Fringe, co-presented by Sing Lit Station, continues to feature programmes designed for and by tweens and teens, while parents and their kids can participate in family-friendly educational programmes under SWF Playground, organised in partnership with Closetful of Books. These include Spoiler Alert, pop-up readings of all-time favourite plot twists, and Jiggle Like a Jellyfish!, an interactive song and dance adventure session where participants go under the sea.
Spoiler alert… or maybe not
Excited about the festival yet? The headliners and speakers who will set the event ablaze include New York Times bestselling author Viet Thanh Nguyen, American writer and comic book illustrator John Patrick Green, South American poet Fatimah Asghar, Indonesian novelist Jesse Q. Sutanto, multi-hyphenate Charlie Dark, local performer Jean Seizure, and more.
In line with the Singapore Writers Festival’s spirit of diversity and inclusivity, the organisers aim to make the event as accessible as possible. The main festival ground is wheelchair- and assistant dog-friendly, while sign language interpreters and note-taking services can be arranged.
So, what are you waiting for? Enjoy 20% early bird savings on tickets from now until 25 October 2023, 11.59pm. We’ll see you there!
Singapore Writers Festival 2023, 17-26 November 2023, multiple locations including The Arts House and Asian Civilisations Museum; festival pass starts from $24, individual events tickets are also available
