Singapore Writers Festival 2023 celebrates hip hop and language diversity

With 2023 being the 50th anniversary of hip hop, SWF is focusing on this unique genre with a special line-up of music critics, rappers, musicians, and cultural historians in programmes ranging from conversations to performances. In celebrating this iconic genre and culture, SWF aims to show how hip hop and literature are intimately intertwined. 

Look forward to We Never Thought Hip Hop Would Bring It This Far – a one-time exclusive where five writers spit surefire reads and vibe with a live DJ on the decks in response to their favourite hip hop song from each decade. This is definitely for the hip hop heads among us and those curious about this genre.

Beats aside, to further expand SWF’s outreach and strengthen community-led curations, key members from Singapore’s diverse language communities and SWF have curated programmes in Chinese, Malay and Tamil for audiences to explore. Under the direction of Chinese language guest curator Yap Seow Choong – a travel writer from Singapore who has published and served as a consultant for the Lonely Planet guide books in China – The More The Merrier is an unexpected collaboration between three lines of poetry, called tercets, and a unique calligraphy type that led to the publishing of a well-received book. Learn about the collaboration and join in this event by preparing three-liner sentences that you can share with the poet Lee Chun Hsien and witness how calligrapher Jun Le writes them out live.

Malay language programmes are helmed by Aqmal Noor, a poet and musician who has been an active part of Singapore's literary arts circuit. Attend Terapi Redari - Rhythm and Rhyme Therapy, a performance of Singapore Malay poetry by new generation singers and speakeasy poets, such as Nurjannah, Syurga Jeffrey and Shahril Samri, who will bring their own unique flair to each of their selected poems. 

And the Tamil language programmes are led by Chitra Ramesh, writer and president of the Vasagar Vattam, a local Tamil readers' circle, who received the Singapore Literature Prize (Merit) for Tamil Fiction in 2018. Look forward to Path Through History: In Memory of Bala Baskaran & Subbiah Lakshmanan, co-presented with the Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture, that spotlights the two late local Tamil historians who contributed immensely to the preservation of Tamil cultural heritage in Singapore.

SWF continues to co-present the SWF Youth Fringe alongside Sing Lit Station, an initiative that Pooja introduced and nurtured during her tenure. Check out Strutting Through Stories: A Fashion Masterclass Talk where Maya Menon, the fashion features editor at Vogue Singapore, dissects memorable outfits from the Met Gala and explores how every iconic ensemble is carefully crafted to tell their own unique story. 

And parents and kids can enjoy a range of educational and family-friendly programmes such as Can I Have a Humourosaurus Rex?: Draw-Along With John Patrick Green – an interactive draw-along session with the illustrator and author himself, who is a pro at turning puns into characters. The session will tap into wordplay and the wackiness of language and you can create your own hilarious character combinations – great practice for the future illustrators and authors out there.

With an eclectic array of over 200 in-person programmes featuring about 250 local and international presenters, including Southeast Asian Focus and a spotlight on Asian-American authors, SWF 2023 sets the stage for unlikely combinations and connections, expanding the possibilities of the written and spoken word. 

Book before October 25 to enjoy an early bird promotion with 20 percent savings. Get the full programme, including free and ticketed shows, and festival passes here. Follow SWF on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for more updates.