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| Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong speaking at SWF 2026 Festival Reveal. (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, Courtesy of Arts House Group) |
Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) 2026 returns from 13 to 22 November 2026 for its 29th edition, and this year's theme, Hidden in Plain Sight, feels especially intriguing.
What if some of the most interesting stories are the ones that have been right in front of us all along? The festival invites us to look closer at the stories we encounter, question the assumptions we carry and discover perspectives that might change the way we understand the world around us.
Organised by Arts House Group and commissioned by the National Arts Council, SWF 2026 brings together more than 300 writers, speakers and moderators across over 200 programmes, covering everything from fiction and crime mysteries to journalism, documentary filmmaking, games, architecture and more.
Making this year's Festival even more special is that it marks Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong's final edition at the helm, bringing another chapter of SWF's journey to a close.
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| (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, Courtesy of Arts House Group) |
Who's Coming To SWF 2026?
This year's line-up brings together some pretty exciting Singaporean, regional and international voices, including Amitav Ghosh, Tan Twan Eng, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ruha Benjamin, Rachel Smythe, Robin Stevens, Shuang Xuetao, Kamala Chandrakirana, Yuvan Chandrasekar, Jeremy Tiang and Jemimah Wei.
There are also conversations that venture beyond literature into some very current issues.
Amitav Ghosh will look at the stories societies tell about our planet's future, while Stephen Witt dives into Nvidia and the making of an AI powerhouse. Ruha Benjamin, meanwhile, examines the hidden biases shaping technology and society.
But one of the biggest additions this year has to be...
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| Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ovidia Yu and Seo Mi-ae (Image Credit: Martin Dee & Arts House Group) |
🔎 NEW: Crime & Mystery Takes The Spotlight
Okay, mystery lovers, this one immediately caught my attention.
For the first time, SWF is introducing a dedicated Crime & Mystery Spotlight, and honestly, what genre could fit Hidden in Plain Sight better?
The programme looks at how clues, assumptions, history and shifting perspectives can reveal what lies beneath the surface.
Old Crimes, Fresh Takes brings together Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jean Tay and Ovidia Yu to explore how historical events and archival material can be transformed into crime fiction.
If you're fascinated by what goes into creating a convincing villain, The Making of a Serial Killer sees Seo Mi-ae, Rueben Dass and Jocelyn Suarez unpack how they create compelling killer characters on the page.
Agatha Christie fans can check out Still Killing It: Agatha Christie's Enduring Legacy, where Robin Stevens and Louise Hegarty discuss why the Queen of Crime continues to influence mystery writing today.
Meanwhile, Crime, Memory and Moral Ambiguity brings Shuang Xuetao and Jeremy Tiang together to explore how crime and thriller conventions can open conversations about memory, precarity and contemporary life. Definitely one section I'll be keeping an eye on! 👀
My SWF 2026 Must-Go Pick: Step Inside The House Of Tan Yeok Nee
If I had to pick one experience that immediately stood out to me, it would probably be The Last Mansion Standing: Uncovering the House of Tan Yeok Nee.
Instead of simply hearing about history inside a theatre, you'll actually get to explore the restored House of Tan Yeok Nee, with architectural historian and author Yeo Kang Shua leading participants through the historic Teochew mansion and uncovering the people and stories that shaped it.
I love experiences like this because you're not just listening to a story. You're physically stepping into the place where part of that story unfolded. It also feels so perfectly aligned with Hidden in Plain Sight. How many of us have passed historic buildings around Singapore without knowing the stories hiding behind their walls?
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| Off the Record with Janet Tay and Tan Twan Eng (Image Credit: The Photo Lab & Lloyd Smith) |
Stories We Don't Always Talk About
Some of the Festival's most interesting conversations also look at the stories that aren't always openly discussed.
In What the Family Doesn't Say, Amitav Ghosh, Jemimah Wei and Balli Kaur Jaswal explore the sacrifices, memories and histories carried across generations.
Then there's Off the Record with Janet Tay and Tan Twan Eng, which brings the longtime friends and former lawyers together for a more candid conversation about writing and life beyond their public personas.
These are the kinds of sessions I think fit this year's theme particularly well because sometimes what is "hidden" isn't a mystery waiting to be solved. It can simply be the experiences and conversations we don't usually see.
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| Chatchavan Suwansawat & Caris Avendaño Cruz (Image Credit: Room Magazine Issue191 & Jett Cruz) |
Exploring Southeast Asia Through Stories
SEA xChange returns to put Southeast Asian stories and perspectives in focus, bringing together literature with architecture, folklore, migration and everyday life.
Featured voices include architect and writer Chatchavan Suwansawat from Thailand and author Caris Avendaño Cruz from the Philippines.
Programmes explore everything from beliefs and superstitions in regional fiction to Southeast Asian architecture, journalism in the Malay world and how migrant and local writers experience the cities they live in.
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| At the SWF 2026 Festival Reveal (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, Courtesy of Arts House Group) |
Celebrating Singapore's Multilingual Literary Landscape
Another important part of SWF is its celebration of Singapore's different languages and literary traditions.
This year's Chinese, Malay and Tamil programmes are shaped by guest curators Chan Cheow Thia, Muhammad Ilyia Kamsani and Neelakandan Sivanantham, connecting Singapore writers and audiences with voices from the wider region.
Among the programmes is the Mandarin-language Writing Fiction to Remember and Heal, featuring Teoh Hee La, Wang Zhanhei and Hon Lai Chu, exploring how fiction can preserve memories and help us make sense of change.
Royal Syair and Journalism in the Malay World looks at the intersection between classical Malay poetry and contemporary journalism, while Echoes in Art and Ink: Rediscovering Little India's Hidden Stories brings writers Uma Kathir and Krishnasamy Subramaniam together to explore stories from the communities of Little India.
There's also Yuvan – The Essence of Poetry, where Indian writer Yuvan Chandrasekar explores how poetry can resonate across time, countries and languages.
Selected sessions will offer live interpretation and digital translation, opening up more opportunities for us to join conversations beyond the languages we're most familiar with.
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| SWF 2025 Stories Across Generations x SMRT Trains Launch - Festival Director, Yong Shu Hoong (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, courtesy of Arts House Group) |
SWF Homage Looks At How Singapore Stories Travel
At the heart of this multilingual focus is SWF Homage, which turns its attention to literary translation for 2026.
The programme traces how Singapore literature has travelled across languages and borders, from the 18th and early 19th centuries right up to the present day.
Beyond translation-focused programmes, there will also be an interactive microsite and public installation travelling to libraries and community spaces beyond the Festival's main venues.
It's an interesting reminder that Sing Lit doesn't exist within just one language or even within Singapore. Our stories can take on completely new lives when they're translated and discovered by readers elsewhere.
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| At the SWF 2026 Festival Reveal. (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, Courtesy of Arts House Group) |
📚 SWF Isn't Just About Sitting Through Talks
This is probably the part I'd highlight for anyone thinking, "But I'm not really a literary festival person..." There's quite a bit happening beyond the usual author panels!
Festivalgoers can take part in literary walks, mystery-themed experiences, games, interactive storytelling, salon nights, pop-up presentations and writing challenges around the city.
There's Poetry Game Night with Ella Frears, where chance-based prompts become part of the writing experience, while The Salon with Pooja Nansi at COMO Cuisine pairs an intimate literary conversation with a culinary setting.
Reading by the River sounds like one of the more chill options, inviting us to slow down, browse, read and connect by the Singapore River.
And through SWF Encounters, there will also be Book Doctor sessions, book clubs and pop-up activities leading up to the Festival itself.
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| SWF 2025 Lawn in front of The Arts House. (Image Credit: Moonrise Studio, courtesy of Arts House Group) |
Something For Families & Young Readers Too
SWF isn't leaving the younger bookworms behind either.
At SWF Playground, Robin Stevens and Jessica Townsend come together for Girls Who Don't Follow the Rules, discussing the rebellious heroines at the heart of their stories.
Families can get hands-on with Bring Your 'Chou Chou' Day!, where children create illustrated stories with Singapore author and illustrator Quek Hong Shin.
There's even Treasure Hunting in Dunhuang, a parent-child treasure hunt presented together with the Asian Civilisations Museum.
For those aged 13 to 25, Youth Fringe gives young participants opportunities to develop skills in curation, moderation and marketing.
One programme that sounds especially fun is Storytelling Shiok!: The Value of Humour, led by Suffian Hakim and developed by Youth Curator Lim Yuxuan, exploring how our distinctly Singaporean sense of humour can shape storytelling.
Meanwhile, SWF Classroom's The Ending Is Yours: An Exhibition invites students aged 10 to 18 to follow a trail of clues and write their own ending to a mystery. Selected works will then be showcased for the public to vote on.
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| Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong (Image Credit: Arts House Group) |
Yong Shu Hoong's Final Chapter At SWF
SWF 2026 also marks the end of Yong Shu Hoong's tenure as Festival Director, making Hidden in Plain Sight quite a fitting theme for his final edition.
As a writer himself, Yong describes literature as having the ability to help us look beyond the façade and discover deeper meanings and perspectives. He also connects this year's theme to the world we're living in now, where AI and scams can increasingly blur the line between what appears true and what actually is.
And I think that gives Hidden in Plain Sight an interesting relevance beyond books.
It's about questioning what we see, looking at familiar things differently and perhaps noticing stories and perspectives we've overlooked before.
Singapore Writers Festival 2026 Ticket Prices
Singapore Writers Festival 2026
📅 13 – 22 November 2026
Festival Pass: $30
Youth Pass: $15
Festivalgoers can enjoy 20% Early Bird Savings from 29 September to 18 October 2026 or use their SG Culture Pass credits to experience the Festival. Festival Passes and single-ticket programmes are available at the Festival website, with admission to all Festival Pass programmes on a first-come, first-served basis.
Students, seniors and NSFs can also enjoy 20% concession savings from 19 October to 22 November 2026. Separately ticketed programmes start from $15, with Festival Pass holders enjoying 20% savings on selected programmes.
Do note that admission to Festival Pass programmes is on a first-come, first-served basis.
More information on the authors and programmes can be found at https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/. You can also follow the festival's social media @sgwritersfest on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Telegram, and use our hashtags #sgwritersfest and #SWF2026.
What Will You Uncover At SWF 2026?
With more than 300 voices and 200 programmes, SWF 2026 isn't just about meeting famous writers or listening to people talk about books.
You could uncover the secrets of a historic mansion, dive into the mind of a crime writer, discover Southeast Asian folklore, hear stories in another language, play literary games, bring the kids on a treasure hunt or simply sit beside the Singapore River with a good book.
Because sometimes the most interesting stories aren't hidden somewhere far away.
We just need to look a little closer at what's been Hidden in Plain Sight.
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