October 31, 2013 by Angie Ng

Singapore Writers Festival 2013

Date:  01 – 10 November 2013
Venues:  Various
•  Singapore Management University (SMU)
•  National Museum of Singapore (NMS)
•  Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
•  The Arts House (TAH)
•  National Library (NLB)
Organizer:  National Arts Council, Singapore
Website:  http://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/

Over 70 international writers and 120 Singaporean and locally based authors are expected at this annual festival.  66 titles will be launched.

This festival is not merely a gathering of writers.  It is also a chance for readers to get to meet authors and to learn from the many literary discussions presented.

The SWF Ticket and Information counter Is located at:-
•  The Festival Pavilion, Campus Green, Singapore Management University.
•  Online booking www.sistic.com.sg
•  Telephone hotline 6348-5555
Concessions and discounts are applicable to NSFs, students, senior citizens and Passion Card members. Visit the ticketing websites for more information.
Be amongst the first few to exchange your SISTIC ticket for a Festival Pass at the SWF Information Counter and receive an Aesop gift pack. While stocks last!

Literary Meals Ticket contact:-
•  Online booking www.bytes.sg
•  The Arts House Box Office

The S$15 Festival Pass gives you access to:-
•  Panel Discussions
•  Meet the Author
•  In Conversation With
•  Ream to Reel
•  Special Festival Pass Events
•  SWF Fringe
Festival Pass holders are entitled to a 25% discount on all other SWF SISTIC ticketed events and 15% on Literary Meals.

Other Ticketed Events from S$15 per Event:-
•  SWF Lectures
•  Workshops
•  SWF Publishing Symposium
•  Writing Your Novel: To the End and Beyond
•  Literary Meals
•  Literary Walks
Festival Pass holders are entitled to a 25% discount on all other SWF SISTIC ticketed events and 15% on Literary Meals.

Free Events:-
•  Brand New Books
•  Little Lit!
•  Off the Page

For a full list of ticketing and programme details:-
http://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Singapore-Writers-Festival-2013-Programme-Booklet.pdf

Below is a short extract from the multitude of activities listed in the SWF Programme Booklet:-

Panel: Singlish in Sing Lit
Featuring: Colin Goh, Joshua Ip, Faith Ng
Moderated by: Angelia Poon
Sat, 2 Nov | 4pm – 5pm
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
Authenticity – that’s why writers use the local patois in their writing. Find out how Singapore writers deploy Singlish and how readers and audiences have responded. Very fun one – must come, okay?

Panel: Get into your Discomfort Zone
Featuring: Katie Hickman, Wena Poon, Madeleine Lee
Moderated by: Yeoh Siew Hoon
Sat, 2 Nov | 4pm – 5pm
The Salon, NMS
While on the road, writers often look back at home with fresh eyes, even as they experience the wonders and adventures of a new world. This panel discusses the great literature that has been created on the roads eventually taken.

Panel: Asian Women Write Back!
Featuring: Lakshmi Narayan, Ameena Hussein, Ovidia Yu
Moderated by: Cheong Suk Wai
Sat, 2 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
The Salon, NMS
Discover how these writers reimagine the world through their literature. How have women writers captured the evolving roles of women, articulating their anxieties and triumphs?

Panel: The Writer in a Country’s Intellectual Life
Featuring: Alvin Pang, Dina Zaman, Kim Young-ha, Ma Jian
Moderated by: Kwok Kian Woon
Sat, 2 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
The writer has so many potential guises, whether as journalist, novelist, social commentator or poet. These writers discuss what matters most to them and what they feel are meaningful reader responses, as they chronicle and reimagine the life around them.

Literary Walk with Rosemary Lim
Sat, 2 Nov | 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Meeting point: Outside tcc@SMU
Meander through the fiction, non-fiction and fantasy of Singapore with award-winning writer Rosemary Lim. You will follow in the footsteps of Joseph Conrad and Somerset Maugham, and explore locations that inspired Rex Shelley and Edwin Thumboo. Discover Singapore as muse to novelists, playwrights and poets as you travel in time from colonial days to the present day through words and imagination. Begins at SMU and ends at Raffles Place. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Umbrella and water bottle strongly recommended.
[This session is repeated on Sat 9 Nov.]

Ream to Reel: Singapore Dreaming
Featuring: Colin Goh
Moderated by: Tan Kheng Hua
Sat, 2 Nov | 6pm – 8.30pm
Moving Image Gallery, SAM @ 8Q
Director: Colin Goh, Woo Yen Yen | Cast: Richard Low, Alice Lim, Dick Su, Yeo Yann Yann, Lim Yu Beng, Serene Chen| 2006 | 105min | Singapore | Rating: PG | In English, Mandarin, Chinese dialects, with English subtitles
The husband-and-wife team of Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen presents ‘Singapore Dreaming’, a poignant yet darkly humorous story about a typical Singaporean family coming to grips with their aspirations.
SWF Featured Author Colin Goh will be present for a post-film dialogue.

Panel: Post-Halloween Special: Totems and Talismans
Featuring: Yangsze Choo, Otto Fong, Tunku Halim
Moderated by: Carolyn Camoens
Sat, 2 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
Glass Hall, SAM
Whether it is an evocative tale of a spirit marriage, a haunted handphone or an evil ghost child, the dark side and other-world have always intrigued. Find out how creative writers engage – and scare – their readers and audiences.

Brand New Books: In the Middle of the Future: Tom Plate on Asia by Tom Plate
Sat, 2 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
Festival Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
For almost two decades, the columns of journalist Tom Plate have been featured in leading newspapers of the world, focusing entirely on one gigantic subject: the dynamic rise of Asia.  Now, for the first time, the heat of these columns have been compiled into a substantial anthology, annotated with personal comments by the author, who has also penned the bestselling Giants of Asia book series.
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Off the Page: CERIPH #6
Sat, 2 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
Big Steps, School of Information Systems, SMU
Local literary magazine, Ceriph – known for promoting a refreshing selection of emerging writers from Singapore – will unveil the latest issue with a poetry and prose reading. This issue highlights the poetic form and its potential for “local uses” – with Singlish or without, rooted in familiar spaces or flung far into space. These exciting new works continue to critically question and celebrate the idiosyncrasies,

Panel: In the Penumbra of Meanings
Featuring: Yeow Kai Chai, Madeleine Lee, Cathy Park Hong, Kirpal Singh
Moderated by: Leong Liew Geok
Sat, 2 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
Poetry can be frustratingly opaque. Yet, when unlocked or read thoughtfully, it yields wisdom and pleasure. This panel of critically acclaimed poets explores how the best verse can obscure and hide secrets, yet illuminate.
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Panel: Money is the Root of all Creation
Featuring: Colin Goh, Bani Haykal, Wena Poon
Moderated by: Stephen McCarty
Sun, 3 Nov | 10am – 11am
Glass Hall, SAM
Funding and patronage are critical for the creation of good works, so say many artists. Or not? This panel discusses the market for art, the myth of the starving artist and the adventures of crowd-funding.

Panel: You Can Write Too!
Featuring: Vernetta Lopez, Jerrold Yam, Rodney Ee, Claire Chiang
Moderated by: Philip Jeyaretnam
Sun, 3 Nov | 10am – 11am
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
New voices on the writing scene tell us more about their creative process – and what it took to get their first book out. Expect tell-all autobiography, honest poetry and more!

Panel: Lost at SEA?
Featuring: Putu Oka Sukanta, Isa Kamari, Bernice Chauly, Wong Yoon Wah
Moderated by: Kirpal Singh
Sun, 3 Nov | 12pm – 1pm
Seminar Rooms, NMS
In global literature, the literary output from Southeast Asia is relatively less well-known, perhaps because of its multiple languages and diverse readerships. What more can be done to bring the best of the region’s stories to a broader audience?

Panel: Two, Three or Four Stars?
Featuring: Wong Ah Yoke, KF Seetoh, Miss Tam Chiak
Moderated by: Aun Koh
Sun, 3 Nov | 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Glass Hall, SAM
How do food reviewers master an interesting voice to draw in readers? Join this panel of food writers and discover what cliches to cut when writing about food, glorious food. They also describe the vocabulary and accompanying visuals that best stimulate interest… and salivary glands.

Workshop: The Elements of Novel Writing
Instructor: Ryan Gattis
Sun, 3 Nov | 2.30pm – 5.30pm
Seminar Room 2-1, School of Information Systems, SMU
Reams of drafts but no manuscript in sight? American author Ryan Gattis breaks down the techniques of the novel into essential elements of storytelling and demystifies the form. Learn to apply these same essentials to your own work through discussions, exercises as well as a feedback session. Participants are required to submit a three-page manuscript and a one-page synopsis beforehand. More details will be made available in the confirmation email upon purchase.

Workshop: Die-Die Must DIY: Essential Tips for Today’s Content Creators
Instructor: Colin Goh
Sun, 3 Nov | 2.30pm – 5.30pm
Seminar Room 2-2, School of Information Systems, SMU
Write blockbuster. Find publisher. Wait for royalties and movie deal. If that’s your game plan, be prepared for some very, very bad news, but also some excellent reasons to be hopeful. Award-winning filmmaker and popular author Colin Goh draws on his experience in filmmaking, writing, website creation and the production of his acclaimed multi-platform comic, Dim Sum Warriors, to dispense essential advice for all content creators today.

Panel: Alternate Realities
Featuring: Dean Francis Alfar, G Willow Wilson, Jason Erik Lundberg
Moderated by: Rajeev Patke
Sun, 3 Nov | 4pm – 5pm
Glass Hall, SAM
Life on this planet doesn’t seem to be panning out – is it time to build a new reality? Three speculative fiction writers discuss if it is easier to create stories or to live in the worlds they have created. Whose world would you like to be a part of?

Panel: My First Novel
Featuring: Woon Tai Ho, Sunil Nair, Barbara Ismail, Ameena Hussein
Moderated by: Sangeetha Madhavan
Sun, 3 Nov | 4pm – 5pm
Seminar Rooms, NMS
How hard was it to get started on that manuscript and find the stamina to race to the finishing line? New novelists talk about their processes – from creation to publication – while they read excerpts from their debut novels.

Meet the Author: Tom Plate
Moderated by: Parag Khanna
Nov 3, Sun | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Glass Hall, SAM
This award-winning journalist has met and engaged in in-depth interviews with all the Asian grandmasters – from Ban Ki Moon to Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew. Discover how he draws their stories out to create riveting character portraits and his opinion on whether successful Asian leaders share common traits.
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Workshop: The Road Goes Ever On: Foundations in Writing Epic Fantasy
Instructors: Tracy and Laura Hickman
Sat, 9 Nov | 10am – 1pm
Seminar Room 3-1, School of Information Systems, SMU
Bestselling writing couple Tracy and Laura Hickman take you on a journey ‘behind the curtain’ of writing fantasy that connects with and inspires the reader. From the foundations of Joseph Cambell’s monomyth through integration of characters and plot and into the underlying epic structure itself, the Hickmans explore the elements of meaning, modern mythos and narrative, showing you the tools to polish your own writing along the way. An entertaining and informative voyage into the foundations of story for writers of all genres from age 14 and up.
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Meet the Author: Lucy Hawking
Moderated by: Sarah Meisch
Sat, 9 Nov | 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Glass Hall, SAM
A simple query from grandson to grandfather about falling into a black hole leads to a bestselling narrative. Join Lucy Hawking as she shares how her physicist father, Stephen Hawking, has had great bearing on her literary career and her own path as a writer with a distinctive voice.

Panel: Self-Published… So What?
Featuring: Eliza Teoh, Don Bosco, Shamini Flint
Moderated by: Victor Tan
Sat, 9 Nov | 2.30pm – 3.30pm
Switch, NTUC Trade Union House
In today’s complex publishing world, self-publishing can be a viable, even rewarding, adventure. Writers talk about how they keep their readers hooked, share favourite passages from their books and possibly dispense a trade secret or two.

Panel: An Inspector Calls
Featuring: Ed Lin, Stephen Leather, He Jiahong
Moderated by: Richard Lord
Sat, 9 Nov | 4pm – 5pm
Glass Hall, SAM
Indefatigable inspectors battle criminal minds and crack a range of bewildering cases. How do writers create compelling, pacey narratives? Learn from the best – it would be criminal to miss this panel!
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Panel: Been There, Done That
Featuring: Lee Siew Hua, Rodney Ee, Hu Wei, Sim Siong Chye
Moderated by: Pamela Ho
Sat, 9 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
Bitten by the travel bug but chained to your desk? You can find an outlet for your wanderlust. Live vicariously through the eyes – and pens – of these globetrotting adventurers who have crossed experiences like tasting rotten shark meat, tango-ing on the streets of Buenos Aires and stargazing on Lake Tekapo, off their bucket lists.

Panel: Criminal Minds
Featuring: Peter James, Lucy Hawking, Ed Lin
Moderated by: Jayapriya Vasudevan
Sat, 9 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Glass Hall, SAM
Is the crime novel maligned, especially when pegged against more “serious” literary fiction? Genre debates aside, what do crime novels tell us about the community and larger world we live in? Writers attempt to shed light on these questions.
[Supported by the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Panel: My Favourite Short Stories
Featuring: Robert Yeo, Richard Lord, Yeow Kai Chai
Moderated by: Wai Yin Pryke
Sat, 9 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Switch, NTUC Trade Union House
Join this insightful discussion on the literary form, which has found new energy in recent years. Writers and editors talk about how they use the short form to distil experience and how anthologies come together.

Panel: The Role of the Journalist in Society
Featuring: Michael Vatikiotis, Susan Long, Tavleen Singh
Moderated by: PN Balji
Sat, 9 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
The Salon, NMS
With the noisy, polyphonic nature of social media, has the journalist become less relevant? Or do we, more than ever, need the journalist to help us filter out the distracting static to present new insights based on interviews and rigorous research?
[Supported by The Arts Bridge.]

Panel: Hearts of Darkness
Featuring: Stephen Leather, Tracy Hickman, Christian Jungersen
Moderated by: Yeoh Siew Hoon
Sat, 9 Nov | 7pm – 8pm
Binary Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
Presented by StarHub
What is evil? Is it a simple binary, easily distinguished from good? Three different writers discuss how they portray their characters’ dark sides, whether evil is innate, and what makes for a morally justified response to wicked intentions and actions.
[Supported by the Royal Danish Embassy and the United States Embassy, Singapore.]

Panel: Secrets and Lies
Featuring: Kirsten Tranter, Zhang Yueran, He Jiahong, Lydia Kwa
Moderated by: Barrie Sherwood
Sun, 10 Nov | 10am – 11am
The Salon, NMS
“Old sins cast long shadows,” so the saying goes. Writers offer their unique take on how murky secrets from the past can resurface in surprising ways.

Panel: Torchbearers and Groundbreakers
Featuring: Salma, Cyril Wong, David Musgrave
Moderated by: Koh Buck Song
Sun, 10 Nov | 10am – 11am
Seminar Rooms, NMS
The best poetry moves the heart and stirs the intellect. While these outspoken poets read their poems aloud, you get to also discover how they pen their irrepressible, fearless and taboo-shattering verse.

Brand New Books: Extraordinary Losers #3 by Jessica Alejandro | Robozonic #5: Dragonfly Rescue by Caline Tan | Mountain of Fire by Radhika Puri | Ellie Belly #6: Mousey Mayhem by Eliza Teoh
Sun, 10 Nov | 10am – 11am
Festival Pavilion, Campus Green, SMU
Bubbly Books presents four exciting new books by four Singapore authors. What makes a children’s book character appealing? The authors will reveal why their characters are all flawed and how imperfection appeals to the sympathies of children. This book launch will include a presentation by each author, followed by puzzles, games and drawing activities with prizes to be won.

Panel: Writing to Forget, Writing to Remember
Featuring: Constance Singam, Robert Yeo, Boey Kim Cheng
Moderated by: Gene Tan
Sun, 10 Nov | 5.30pm – 6.30pm
Glass Hall, SAM
Memoirs, and often fiction, are based on real lives, with the act of writing becoming a wilful remembering and recreation of the past. But does writing also help writers let go and reach a point of reconciliation?

Journey to the Soul Mountain
29 Oct – Tue, 12 Nov
Societe Generale Gallery, Alliance Française de Singapour
Alliance Française de Singapour presents the exhibition ‘Journey to the Soul Mountain’ by Nobel Laureate Gao Xingjian, which features 50 black-and-white photography taken in 1987 while he was writing the novel Soul Mountain, based on his journey in rural China, which has become one of today’s most acclaimed contemporary literature classics.