The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) 2026 is underway, bringing more than 300 writers, speakers and moderators to Singapore for 10 days of literary discussions, workshops, performances and interactive activities.
Running from 13 to 22 November, the 29th edition is organized by Arts House Group and commissioned by the National Arts Council. This year’s theme, Hidden in Plain Sight, explores how stories and narratives across literature, media and lived experiences can be revealed, obscured or viewed from different perspectives.
Among the international and regional names featured in this year’s line-up are Amitav Ghosh, Tan Twan Eng, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ruha Benjamin, Rachel Smythe, Robin Stevens, Shuang Xuetao, Kamala Chandrakirana, Yuvan Chandrasekar and Jemimah Wei. The programme spans fiction, memoir, literary translation, crime fiction, journalism and documentary film, bringing Singaporean, regional and international voices together.
A new addition this year is the Crime and Mystery Spotlight, a dedicated programme track examining the genre through discussions on storytelling, historical crimes, character development and the use of suspense. Sessions include Old Crimes, Fresh Takes, featuring Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jean Tay and Ovidia Yu, and The Making of a Serial Killer, where Seo Mi-ae, Rueben Dass and Jocelyn Suarez discuss how they develop unsettling characters for their stories.
Other sessions explore the continuing influence of Agatha Christie, the role of crime fiction in examining memory and moral ambiguity, and how writers use archival material to create compelling narratives. The programme also includes interactive activities such as a table-top murder mystery game and a workshop on turning historical records into crime stories.
The festival is placing greater emphasis on Singapore’s multilingual literary scene, with more Chinese, Malay and Tamil programmes curated by Chan Cheow Thia, Muhammad Ilyia Kamsani and Neelakandan Sivanantham. Selected sessions will offer live interpretation or digital translations to make multilingual discussions more accessible.
This year’s SWF Homage focuses on literary translation and the role translators play in bringing Singapore literature across languages and borders. The programme includes translation-focused sessions, an interactive microsite and a public installation that will travel to libraries and community spaces.
The wider programme also features literary walks, discussions and activities for different age groups. Participants can explore the history of Nanyang University and Nanyang Technological University through walks at Yunnan Garden, learn about the stories of Singapore’s Orang Laut and Orang Pulau communities during a coastal walk at West Coast Park, or join a literary walk on St John’s Island.
Families and younger readers can take part in activities such as Treasure Hunting in Dunhuang, a parent-child programme at the Asian Civilisations Museum, and Girls Who Don’t Follow the Rules, a discussion featuring children’s authors Jessica Townsend and Robin Stevens. Youths aged 13 to 25 can also participate in the Youth Fringe, which gives them opportunities to develop skills in literary curation, moderation and marketing.
Other highlights include a keynote by Amitav Ghosh on how societies imagine the planet’s future, a session by technology journalist Stephen Witt on Nvidia and the development of the artificial intelligence industry, and a talk by Ruha Benjamin on the hidden biases shaping technology and society.
The 2026 edition is also the final one led by Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong, who is concluding his tenure with a programme that brings together literary traditions and perspectives from Singapore and around the world. In his speech, he emphasizes the importance of communication between languages, and surfaces the usage of AI-assisted translations to bring the varied literature of different cultures to a wider audience.
Beyond the festival’s main venues, Arts House Group will work with CapitaLand Investment to develop arts initiatives and activities across its retail and workspace properties. One of the programmes under this collaboration is Undercurrents, an installation at the Funan Underground Pedestrian Link featuring illustrators Tang Yau Hoong and Quek Hong Shin.
Festivalgoers can also attend Reading by the River, which invites visitors to browse and read by the Singapore River, as well as salon experiences pairing literary conversations with food. Recordings, podcasts and selected online programmes will be made available through the SWF website.
Festival Passes are priced at S$30, while Youth Passes cost S$15. Selected single-ticket programmes are available from S$5. Students, senior citizens aged 55 and above, and full-time national servicemen can receive 20 per cent off Festival Passes and single-ticket programmes. Festival Pass and Youth Pass holders are also eligible for 20 per cent off single-ticket programmes.
SG Culture Pass credits can be used for selected festival experiences. Admission to Festival Pass programmes is on a first-come, first-served basis, and a range of free programmes is also available.
For the full programme and ticketing details, visit www.singaporewritersfestival.com.
