Singapore Writers Festival 2025: Imagining the Future Through Words

The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns from 7 to 16 November 2025, marking its 28th edition with the theme Shape of Things to Come. Organised by Arts House Group, this milestone festival celebrates Singapore’s 60th year of independence, inviting audiences to dream, question, and reimagine the future through the transformative power of literature.

With over 200 programmes and more than 300 local and international presenters, SWF 2025 blends reflection and imagination: exploring themes of identity, technology, and nationhood while charting new possibilities for tomorrow. Featured authors include R.F. Kuang (The Poppy War, Babel), Sathnam Sanghera, Faith Erin Hicks, Victoria Chang, and award-winning poet Raymond Antrobus.

This year introduces fresh tracks such as Sci-fi Spotlight, dedicated to futuristic storytelling, and SG60 Homage, which pays tribute to Singapore’s publishing history across all four official languages. Highlights include Ken Liu’s keynote on The Future of Art in the Age of AI, Hao Jingfang’s sci-fi explorations, and a festival-closing debate on whether “Robots Are Our Friends.”

Community spirit takes center stage with initiatives like Stories Across Generations, a writing project capturing seniors’ memories, and Snippets of the Future, a youth-driven showcase of speculative microfiction. Festival pop-ups will also bring literary experiences to neighbourhoods across Singapore.

Adding to the vibrancy is The Salon, an intimate new series blending literary exchange with Singapore’s dining scene, featuring writers like Fuchsia Dunlop, F.H. Batacan, and Balli Kaur Jaswal. SWF also deepens its multilingual programming, with live interpretations and dedicated sessions in Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, reinforcing its role as a cross-cultural platform.

For families and young readers, the SWF Playground offers playful programmes such as sci-fi yoga and comic workshops, alongside a keynote by Onjali Q. Raúf. Young adult audiences can look forward to Youth Fringe, featuring NYT bestselling author Neal Shusterman and bold conversations on rage, apocalyptic narratives, and youth voices in literature.

Early Bird Passes are available from 23 September to 6 October 2025 with 20% savings. Festivalgoers can also redeem their SG Culture Pass for entry. A mix of ticketed and free programmes ensures that everyone can take part in this celebration of words and ideas.

For the full programme and updates, visit here.