Singapore Writers Festival 2026 Explores Hidden Stories with More Than 300 Voices Across 200 Programmes

The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) will return from 13 to 22 November 2026 with more than 300 writers, speakers and moderators taking part in over 200 programmes across the city. Organised by Arts House Group and commissioned by the National Arts Council, the 29th edition adopts the theme Hidden in Plain Sight, inviting audiences to explore how stories in literature, media and everyday life can be revealed, concealed or reinterpreted.

This year’s festival will feature an international and regional line-up that includes acclaimed names such as Amitav Ghosh, Tan Twan Eng, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ruha Benjamin, Rachel Smythe, Robin Stevens, Shuang Xuetao, Kamala Chandrakirana, Yuvan Chandrasekar and Jemimah Wei. Spanning fiction, memoir, literary translation, journalism, crime writing and documentary film, the festival aims to bring Singaporean, regional and global voices into conversation while reflecting the diversity of Singapore’s multilingual literary landscape.

A new addition this year is the Crime and Mystery Spotlight, a dedicated programme strand that explores how clues, assumptions and shifting perspectives uncover what lies beneath the surface. The festival will also expand its Chinese, Malay and Tamil offerings, with selected sessions featuring live interpretation and digital translations to make multilingual conversations more accessible. Beyond talks and panel discussions, visitors can take part in literary walks, salon experiences that pair conversations with food, and interactive activities for families and young readers.

The 2026 edition also marks the final festival under the leadership of Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong, concluding his tenure with a programme that brings together literary traditions and voices that have shaped SWF over the years.

Festival highlights include conversations on family histories, memory, technology and the future. Amitav Ghosh, Jemimah Wei and Balli Kaur Jaswal will discuss intergenerational stories and hidden family narratives, while keynote sessions will feature Ghosh on climate storytelling, Stephen Witt on Nvidia and artificial intelligence, and Ruha Benjamin on the unseen biases that shape technology and society. Southeast Asia also takes centre stage through SEA xChange, a programme exploring literature, architecture, migration and everyday life across the region.

SWF’s multilingual focus continues with programmes curated by Chan Cheow Thia, Muhammad Ilyia Kamsani and Neelakandan Sivanantham. Sessions will connect Singapore’s literary traditions with voices from the wider Chinese, Malay and Tamil speaking worlds, while SWF Homage for 2026 will spotlight literary translation and how Singapore literature travels across languages and borders. The programme will include talks, an interactive microsite and a travelling public installation.

Families and young readers can look forward to SWF Playground, which features authors such as Robin Stevens and Jessica Townsend, alongside activities including storytelling workshops and parent-child treasure hunts. Young people will also play an active role through Youth Fringe, while schools can participate in mystery themed writing challenges through SWF Classroom.

Beyond festival venues, SWF will extend into public spaces, bookstores and libraries through initiatives such as SWF Encounters and Reading by the River. Literary experiences will also include heritage tours, poetry games and salon sessions, while SWF Digital will make recordings, podcasts and online programmes available to audiences worldwide.

The Singapore Writers Festival 2026 will run from 13 to 22 November. Festivalgoers can enjoy 20 per cent early bird savings from 29 September to 18 October 2026, and SG Culture Pass credits can also be used for selected festival experiences. Alongside ticketed events, a range of free programmes will be available, offering more opportunities for audiences to engage with literature and storytelling across Singapore.