In such a globalised world, the Singaporean diaspora is inevitable. Our stories have traversed beyond the Causeway, some reaching as far as New York City, home of the Singapore Literature Festival. Repping the Lion City in the Big Apple, the independent festival brings together Singaporean and American thinkers and writers for readings and conversations. This year, it's opening its portal to everyone – regardless of location – and is available for those in Singapore from October 2 to 4, with two festival previews on September 25.
Under the banner of Singapore Unbound, the biennial festival is the brainchild of NYC-based, Singaporean writers, artists, and creatives including organiser and Steep Tea author Jee Leong Koh. Known for opening thought-provoking dialogues, the festival returns with a pressing theme: The Politics of Hope. This is in response to the hopeful yearning for democracy, human rights, and social justice across the world, not just in Singapore and the USA.
It's not just for the woke Millennials and Gen Zs, either. Singapore Literature Festival is loaded with exciting programmes led by familiar faces (and names) in the local literary scene. On September 25, artist Melinda Lauw is putting on a soothing ASMR performance, while Eisner Award-winner Sonny Liew, as well as artists Joy Ho, and Shirin Rafie discusses the challenges of producing transformative political comics.
The festival then officially kicks off on October 1 with an opening address by New Naratif's managing director Ping Tjin "PJ" Thum. Highlights include the US launch of And The Walls Come Crumbling Down by Tania De Rozario, which is said to be "part queer memoir and part poetic rumination". Join authors including Nuraliah Norasid (The Gatekeeper), and Amanda Lee Koe (Delayed Rays of a Star) as they share their writing experiences. It all then wraps up with a closing address by poet, scholar, and activist Jackie Wang (Carceral Capitalism).
While the programmes are free, you'll need to register to access the Zoom sessions and extras. Note that all the times listed are Eastern Day Time, which is 12 hours behind Singapore Time. For the full list of programmes and more information, visit singaporeunbound.org.