SINGAPORE – Book lovers, rejoice. The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) is returning as a full-scale physical event from Friday to Nov 20, with more than 200 talks, workshops, films, performances and other events.
These will be happening mainly in Civic District venues such as The Arts House, Victoria Theatre, National Gallery Singapore and the Asian Civilisations Museum, as well as other parts of the island.
An outdoor “festival village” – spilling into the pedestrianised area between Anderson Bridge and Empress Lawn – has also been introduced for the first time.
SWF, now in its 25th edition, is helmed by poet Pooja Nansi and organised by Arts House Limited. More than 280 local and international writers are taking part, including headliners such as British novelist Jeanette Winterson, American sci-fi writer Ted Chiang, and poet and essayist Claudia Rankine. Go to str.sg/wjPa for more information.
Here are some events on The Straits Times’ radar:
1. Festival Opening Debate: This House Believes That The Remake Is Better Than The Original
The ever-popular festival debate is back. Hosted by Lucas Ho and Joses Ho, it features Joshua Ip, Amanda Chong, Rebekah Dorai and Jo Tan on the Proposition; and Adrian Tan, Oniatta Effendi, Petrina Kow and Shamini Flint on the Opposition.
Where: Victoria Theatre, 11 Empress Place
When: Friday, 8.30 to 10pm
Admission: Festival pass ($30) with registration
Info: str.sg/wjPb
2. Getting To Know The Pioneering Malay Female Writers Of SWF 2022
This year’s festival pays tribute to Singapore’s pioneering Malay female authors. In this panel discussion taking place in Malay, audiences have the chance to hear from writers such as Hadijah Rahmat, Rohani Din and Sa’eda Buang (above). It complements a free exhibition on the literary pioneers that runs at The Arts House for the duration of the festival.
Where: Play Den, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane
When: Friday, 8 to 9pm
Admission: Festival pass ($30)
Info: str.sg/wjPE
3. Film screenings
Don’t miss these South-east Asian classics presented by the Asian Film Archive at the Oldham Theatre: Tears Of The Black Tiger (2000) from Thailand; Aladin (1953) from Indonesia; and Of The Flesh (Karnal) (1983) from the Philippines.
Those interested in French cinema can also head to The Projector and other locations for shows such as Our Lady Of The Nile (2019), set in a Catholic boarding school in Rwanda; Germinal (1993), an epic film based on Emile Zola’s 1885 novel; and war drama The Patience Stone (2012), directed by Atiq Rahimi and adapted from his novel of the same name. Atiq will be present for a talk after the Nov 19, 5.15pm screening of his film.
Where: Oldham Theatre, 1 Canning Rise (South-east Asian films); The Projector, Level 5 Golden Mile Tower, 6001 Beach Road; Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew’s Road; Screening Room, The Arts House, 1 Old Parliament Lane (French films)
When: Various timings
Admission: $15 (South-east Asian films) and from $11.50 (French films). Discounts for festival pass holders are available
Info: str.sg/wjPa
4. Young adult fiction, social media and video games
Fans of young adult fiction can take their pick from a robust slate of talks and panel discussions by authors such as Dustin Thao (You’ve Reached Sam), Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights) and Kass Morgan (The 100).
Or, if social media and influencer culture is more your thing, catch a keynote talk by digital anthropologist Crystal Abidin and a panel on BookTok and Bookstagram.
Gamers, meanwhile, may want to check out Gaming The System: Perspectives On Video Game Narratives and All On The Table: Adapting Southeast Asian Myths To Games.
Info: str.sg/wjPa
5. South-east Asian Focus
Dive into panel discussions on science fiction and building a cyberpunk world in South-east Asia. Or immerse yourself in the melodies of Nusantara: A Sea Of Tales, a music performance where the Orkestra Sri Temasek will reimagine Malay folklore featured in Heidi Shamsuddin’s 2021 book of the same name.
Info: str.sg/wjPa
