SINGAPORE
WRITERS FESTIVAL
THE SINGAPORE WRITERS FESTIVAL (SWF) IS ONE OF ASIA'S PREMIER LITERARY EVENTS.
The annual festival presents some of the world's major literary talents to Singaporeans, as well as promoting new and emerging Singaporean and Asian writing to an international audience. To date, it remains one of the few literary festivals in world that is multi-lingual, focusing on the official languages of Singapore – English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.
SWF has featured many writers from around the world and delighted book lovers with literary celebrities such as Arnošt Lustig, Taichi Yamada, Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Ma Jian, Tash Aw, and comic book writers Gail Simone and Mark Waid.
Previously biennial, SWF first started in 1986 and is now in its 14th edition.
VISION
A city where writing empowers and transforms lives.
MISSION
The mission of the festival is to not only present the world’s major literary talents to the people of Singapore, but also to promote new and emerging Singapore and Asian writing to a wider public.
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NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL
The National Arts Council (NAC) was set up as a statutory board in September 1991 to spearhead the development of the arts in Singapore.
Anchored on the twin strategies of excellence and engagement in the arts, the Council aims to build a vibrant arts sector by creating a conducive environment where the arts is accessible to all and artistic talents have the necessary resources and capabilities to excel and achieve sustainability in the long term.
To develop artistic talents in the performing, visual, literary and traditional arts, the Council provides total support through grants, training, arts housing subsidies, commissioning of works and overseas presentations. It adopts a holistic approach to develop the entire value chain, from seedling arts start-ups, nurturing and developing artists, arts groups and arts businesses, to internationalization. NAC also organizes major festivals, events and competitions to showcase local and international talents, as well as to identify new talents. Arts awards are given to artists in recognition of artistic excellence and to patrons for arts sponsorship.
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THIS YEAR'S THEME
TRANSACTION
Except for the rare ascetic and truly transcendent, money is an important consideration in the decisions we regularly make. SWF 2011's theme reminds us how transactions underscore our daily lives – from our individual purchase and consumption of goods and services, including the arts, to the larger business dealings and trade that underpin the global economy today.
As Singapore becomes more affluent, how does the lure of lucre distract us from what is important in life and what is truly to be valued? How does money catalyze, stimulate or even hinder art? In an increasingly transactional world, where is the space for inspiration, and creating for pleasure?
These are just some of the topics to be explored and debated among the writers and thinkers in Singapore and internationally. Some of the writers invited this year will expand, and cast different perspectives on the transaction theme. They include popular economist Steven Levitt, Swedish writer Kari Nars who looks at the world’s most unscrupulous fraudsters and creative writers who grapple with themes of poverty such as the late Kuo Pao Kun, and novelists Manu Joseph and Vikas Swarup. On the other extreme, Chinese writers like Chan Koon Chung examine how sudden affluence has impacted contemporary urban society in China.
Transaction at another level can be broadened to the marketplace of ideas that we envision at the Singapore Writers Festival. We certainly hope to see Singapore’s writers – from aspiring to established and in all four national languages – enjoy and benefit from the thoughtful exchanges and rich conversations with their international counterparts.
For the Singapore audience, SWF 2011 is the ideal opportunity to be engaged by thought-provoking writers and thinkers, to be enthralled by moving stories and beautiful poetry, and to be inspired by a celebration of ideas.
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