What to expect at Singapore Writers Festival 2022

In celebration of its 25th edition, the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) 2022 will host its first-ever outdoor Festival Village.

The Arts House and the fully-pedestrianised Anderson Bridge area of the Civic District will be transformed into a literary festival venue over three weekends. 

Happening from Nov 4 to 20, visitors can look forward to activities including outdoor performances, interactive workshops, poetry readings, F&B offerings.

Here are some programmes you can expect at the Festival Village:

Starting off strong, this year’s Festival will open with a debate on the topic “This House Believes That The Remake Is Better Than The Original”.

Hosted by playwright Lucas Ho and poet Joses Ho, catch eight Festival speakers hash it out in a rousing debate that may or may not provide you with an answer to the age-old question, “is the original truly always better than its adaptations”?

It’ll take place at Victoria Theatre on Nov 4, from 8.30pm to 10pm.

In this free music performance, poet Laremy Lee joins forces with rock and roll band General Lee and folk musicians The Good Company in a re-narration of Singapore’s history through poem and song.

There’ll be two sessions on Nov 13, one from 5pm to 5.45pm and another one from 8pm to 8.45pm. The performances will be at the Festival Village.

Parents hoping to hone their green fingers and nurture their child’s interest in plants can sign up for this workshop together!

Presented by social enterprise Edible Garden City, participants will get the chance to learn from expert farmers on how to grow their own edible greens.

This programme is co-presented with Closetful of Books and is recommended for children aged 6 to 12.

It will be held at the Festival Village on Nov 20, from 11am to 12pm. Tickets cost $25 per person.

What secrets will come out late at night? 

In this twilight reading hosted by Daryl Qilin Yam, author and co-founder of Sing Lit Station, festival authors dig deep and spill their thrills, fears, and regrets in response to a series of dares.

This programme will take place at the Festival Village on Nov 5, from 8pm to 9pm. Admission is free.

Are you the type to go on Genius and look for the meanings of your favourite song lyrics? If so, this session, otherwise known as Words of Eunoia: Wisdom behind the thoughts of 90s song lyrics, might pique your interest.

Join Cultural Medallion award recipient Isa Kamari, musician and poet Khair Yasin and writer Khairool Haque as they discuss the music and lyrics of the 90s.

They explore what makes the music of the 90s so special, what are the ingredients that make these songs ever-relevant and fresh-sounding, and how it has shaped the minds of an entire generation.

The discussion, conducted in Bahasa Melayu, will be held at The Arts House, Living Room. It will take place on Nov 5, from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Tickets cost $30 per person.

The Festival will close with a live poetry reading featuring Caleb Femi, Nate Marshall, Joelle Taylor, Bani Haykal, Lawrence Ypil, and Zeha H. in response to the Festival Key Installation: If We Paused in Mid Thought….

The installation will reveal its final form after three weeks of collective responses from Festival speakers and audiences. Those curious can stick around to find out what it says about participants’ vision for the future.

Beyond these activities, festival goers can also anticipate a variety of F&B offerings, including food trucks.

For those looking to browse and purchase books, this year’s Festival Bookstore will be at The Arts House. It’ll feature a wide selection of books, from multilingual offerings to works by this year’s line-up of authors. 

Festival Passes can be purchased at $30 from SWF’s website or through SISTIC.