More headlining authors for Singapore Writers Festival unveiled
Five international writers have been revealed as the latest headliners for the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), the National Arts Council announced last Friday (4 August).
The five, Tony Parsons (UK), Ken Liu (US), Perumal Murugan (India), Lu Min (China) and Datin Saidah Rastam (Malaysia) are writers of five different genres across multiple languages.
Festival-goers with early-bird passes will get a chance to meet them and get access to a rich slate of programmes featuring a line-up of international and Singaporean writers, speakers, performers and thinkers. The sale of early-bird passes will start next Monday (14 August).
The theme of this year’s SWF is “Aram”, which takes inspiration from a word most famously used in the ancient text, “Thirukkural”, which means “goodness” and “doing good”. “Aram” envisions an ideal which humanity can aspire to in thought, word and action. Here are some highlights of the event:
1. Inaugural Aram Conference
The Aram Conference will feature a keynote panel involving speakers across various languages. There will also be a series of other break-out sessions addressing inter-culturalism, cross-border conflict and what youths want for Singapore’s future.
2. SWF Country Focus: Ireland
A total of eight writers from Ireland will also be featured throughout the festival in alignment with SWF’s country focus on Ireland. The line-up of writers include playwright and short-story writer Paul McVeigh, Irish short story writer Claire Keegan and poet Gerald Dawe.
3. SWF Class for Schools 2017
SWF Class for Schools 2017 is designed for the first time for primary and secondary-level students. From 6 to 10 November, these students can look forward to hearing from bestselling international authors in their own schools and enjoy educational sessions with Singapore’s authors, illustrators and drama practitioners.
4. Expansion of Inclusive Programme
The inclusive programme line-up this year is specially curated to cater to adults and children with disabilities. There will be sensory-friendly programmes, sign-language interpreters and note-taking services for deaf attendees and the elderly.
The SWF takes place from 3 to 12 November at the Civic District in The Arts House as well as other venues including the Asian Civilisations Museum, National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and The National Library. More information can be found at SWF’s official website.
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