The 28th Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) wrapped up its 2025 edition on an inspiring note, celebrating the power of storytelling as the nation approaches its 60th year of independence. Held from 7 to 16 November 2025 and organised by Arts House Group, the festival brought together over 440 writers, thinkers and creators across more than 220 programmes, its most expansive showing yet.
Under the direction of Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong, this year’s theme invited audiences to imagine the future with optimism, while exploring uncertainties and questions of identity through literature, dialogue and community experiences.
Star-Studded Line-Up and Sold-Out Sessions
One of the biggest draws of SWF 2025 was its impressive roster of 40 international and regional authors, presented alongside Singapore’s literary voices. Highlights included:
- R.F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author
- Ken Liu and Hao Jingfang, both Hugo Award winners
- Victoria Chang, acclaimed American poet
- Local favourites such as Pooja Nansi, Liang Wern Fook, and Shabir Sulthan
R.F. Kuang’s conversation with novelist Balli Kaur Jaswal was one of the most anticipated sessions, selling out within a day of the programme launch.
Across the festival, more than 40 ticketed events reached full capacity, including A Feast of Words & Flavours, The Shadow of Things to Come, When Worlds Fall Apart: Writing Dystopias with Neal Shusterman, and a high-energy Live Drawing Battle.
Festival Passes sold out during the first weekend.
Breaking New Ground with Live Translations and Multilingual Programming
SWF strengthened its position as one of the world’s rare multilingual literary festivals, presenting robust programming across Chinese, Malay and Tamil (CMT) languages.
For the first time, over 20 CMT sessions featured real-time English translations through simultaneous interpretation and AI-assisted tools. This milestone boosted accessibility and drew more multilingual audiences than ever before.
Programmes exploring Chinese literature and food culture were also expanded. The popular A Feast of Words & Flavours series, curated by Yap Seow Choong and Tan Pin Yen, impressed attendees with dishes specially created for the festival. Some participants even flew in from overseas just to attend the sessions.
Meanwhile, diverse programming such as Tech Talks: Using Tech Solutions to Create Inclusive Spaces, Digital Art Workshops, and Letters Out of Order: Writing about Dyslexia offered perspectives from migrant communities, neurodivergent voices and individuals with varying access needs.
Honouring 60 Years of Storytelling and Publishing
In celebration of SG60, the festival spotlighted Singapore’s literary journey through the SG60 Homage track. Highlights included:
- Behind the Pages: Evolution of Publishing in Singapore, a touring exhibition showcasing publishing history across all four official languages since the 1960s
- Bookprints of a Nation: Singapore Publishing Across Languages, where industry leaders reflected on how publishers shaped local readership
- Sing Lit on the Global Stage – Publishers’ Edition, exploring how Singaporean stories resonate internationally
Veteran writer Dr Liang Wern Fook also drew a full house for a special session reflecting on how his work evolved alongside Singapore’s growth.
Bringing Literature Into Everyday Spaces
A key focus in 2025 was community outreach. SWF expanded its footprint through:
- SG Culture Pass, which helped attract many first-time festivalgoers, driving over 30% growth in attendance
- Stories Across Generations and Snippets of the Future, engaging families and young readers
- Pop-up events at Bedok Public Library, Westgate, Sengkang Grand Mall, and Funan, which transformed public areas, even MRT stations, into hubs for literary exploration
The new Salon series, developed with Capella Singapore, Brasserie Astoria and Belimbing, paired intimate conversations with culinary experiences. Sessions featuring renowned food writer Fuchsia Dunlop were among the first to sell out.
Continuing the Literary Journey Beyond 2025
Though the festival has ended, audiences can continue exploring its offerings through digital session recordings, online exhibitions, and school showcases. Snippets of the Future and Behind the Pages will continue touring selected schools and digital platforms.
In a significant announcement, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth revealed that SingLit books will be eligible for SG Culture Pass credits starting 1 March 2026, encouraging more Singaporeans to discover local literature.
Looking Ahead: SWF 2026
The next edition of the Singapore Writers Festival will run from 13 to 22 November 2026 with the theme “Hidden in Plain Sight.” Festivalgoers can expect to explore the blurry lines between the visible and the obscured, diving into how “truth” can be shaped, distorted or rediscovered through literature.
