Arts House Group proudly presents Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) 2026, returning from 13 to 22 November for its 29th edition. With Hidden in Plain Sight as its theme, this year’s Festival invites audiences to look closer at the stories we encounter, the assumptions we carry, and the perspectives that may shape how we see and understand the world. It also marks Festival Director Yong Shu Hoong’s final edition at the helm of SWF.
With a stellar line-up of more than 300 writers, speakers and moderators across over 200 programmes, SWF 2026 will feature literary heavyweights 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, as well as Stephen Witt and Momtaza Mehri, whose participation is supported by the Asia Creative Writing Programme (ACWP).
Aligned with the Festival’s theme, the dedicated Crime & Mystery Spotlight takes a creative spin on Hidden in Plain Sight as Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jean Tay and Ovidia Yu illustrate how the genre offers a playful yet thought-provoking way to examine what lies beneath the surface. Festivalgoers can also delve deeper into other genres and forms, including literary translation, myths and legends, games and documentary filmmaking.
Singapore’s multilingual literary landscape is reflected in strong programming across English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, shaped by guest curators Chan Cheow Thia, Muhammad Ilyia Kamsani and Neelakandan Sivanantham. Bringing together voices and practices from Singapore and the wider region are Festival initiatives such as SEA xChange and SWF Homage which focuses on literary translation of Singaporean works, where stories are explored through literature, architecture, folklore, migration and everyday life. The Festival has also expanded live interpretation and AI-enabled translation tools across selected programmes, making more conversations accessible across languages. Literary encounters pulse through the city through an eclectic mix of salon nights, mystery-themed experiences, family workshops, pop-up presentations and youth writing challenges.
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.
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