Singapore Writers Festival 2026

Singapore Writers Festival 2026

Your to-be-read pile has been silently judging you all year, but now it has backup. The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) returns for its 29th edition from 13th-22nd November 2026 , with more than 300 writers, speakers, and moderators taking part in over 200 programmes across the Civic District and beyond.

This year’s line-up includes Singaporean author Jemimah Wei, Indian literary heavyweight Amitav Ghosh, and Booker Prize-shortlisted Malaysian novelist Tan Twan Eng. There’s also a brand-new Crime and Mystery Spotlight, plus table-top murder mystery games, literary walks, ane even whisky tastings.

Here’s what to know about SWF 2026, including the biggest names, free activities, family-friendly programmes, and how to get early bird tickets.

When & where is Singapore Writers Festival 2026 being held?

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Singapore Writers Festival 2026 runs from 13th-22nd November 2026 at venues across Singapore’s Civic District and beyond.

Most programmes take place at The Arts House at the Old Parliament, Victoria Theatre , Asian Civilisations Museum , and National Gallery Singapore .

What is the theme of Singapore Writers Festival 2026?

Image credit: Singapore Writers Festival

The theme for SWF 2026 is Hidden in Plain Sight , which is all about looking twice at things that might seem obvious at first glance. That could mean uncovering a family secret, digging into history hidden beneath a new building, or examining the biases quietly built into the apps and technology we use every day.

This year’s festival will also be Shu Hoong’s final edition as festival director, making SWF 2026 his farewell edition.

Image credit: Singapore Writers Festival

Festival director and poet Yong Shu Hoong says the theme also reflects the current era of AI and scams, where appearances can be misleading and finding the truth takes a little more digging.

Which writers are appearing at Singapore Writers Festival 2026?

One of the biggest draws this year is the mix of local and international authors appearing across the festival programme.

Jemimah Wei will host a literary salon & speak with Amitav Ghosh

Image adapted from: @jemmawei, @amitav_ghosh1 via Instagram

Singapore-born author Jemimah Wei is having quite the run. Her debut novel The Original Daughter , about 2 sisters growing up in a cramped flat in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore, debuted at number 1 on The Straits Times bestseller list and was longlisted for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award.

She’ll appear twice at SWF 2026. The more intimate option is The Salon with Jemimah Wei , where she’ll discuss the pressures and unspoken rules surrounding daughterhood over a Sri Lankan meal.

She’ll also join Amitav Ghosh and fellow Singaporean novelist Balli Kaur Jaswal for What the Family Doesn’t Say , a panel about family silences, secrets, and sacrifices passed down through generations. Basically, all the things that somehow surface at every CNY celebration but nobody wants to say out loud.

The Salon with Jemimah Wei

Date: 19th November 2026

Time: 12.30pm-2.30pm

Venue: Kotuwa @ New Bahru

Admission: $48

What the Family Doesn’t Say

Date: 15th November 2026

Time: 3.30pm-4.30pm

Venue: Victoria Theatre

Admission: Festival Pass

What will Amitav Ghosh talk about at the Singapore Writers Festival?

Image credit: @amitav_ghosh1 via Instagram

Amitav Ghosh, one of India’s best-known contemporary writers, is known for novels including The Hungry Tide and the Ibis Trilogy , as well as his writing about climate change. In his Festival Keynote Talk: A Writer’s Reimagining of Our Planetary Future , he’s tackling a spicy question: why are some of the world’s richest, best-informed people quietly building bunkers on remote islands instead of trying to fix the planet?

He’ll connect the topic to his 2025 essay collection Wild Fictions and latest novel Ghost-Eye , while examining what climate change means for the Global South, particularly countries th