Speech by President Halimah Yacob at The Singapore Writers Festival 2022 Opening

Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry

Mrs Rosa Daniel, Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council

Mr Wilson Tan, Chairman, Arts House Limited

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening. It gives me great pleasure to open the 25^th edition of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), that brings our very own Singapore and international literary talents together.

The SWF began in 1986 as Singapore Writers’ Week. The inaugural edition was a biennial affair, featuring literary readings and forums. Since then, SWF has grown from strength to strength, evolving into an annual event featuring over 200 writers and literary figures each year.  It has firmly established itself as one of the premier multilingual literary festivals in the world, with programmes in our official languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil, a focus on regional writing and Singapore Literature – fondly known as SingLit – as well as many international voices.

The growth of SWF mirrors the development of our local arts scene. Singapore has come a long way since independence. As our economy developed and our physical landscape transformed, our cultural policies kept pace, shaped by the aspirations of our people. The arts and culture scene today is undoubtedly more vibrant, dynamic and international, with many signature events across the literary, performing and visual arts. To ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of the literary arts ecosystem, the National Arts Council (NAC) will continue to work with writers, arts groups, and key stakeholders to develop more initiatives and partnerships under the next iteration of Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027).

This year, SWF celebrates its 25^th edition. For this milestone, it has aptly chosen an inspirational and aspirational theme – “IF”, inspired by a poem by our very own Singaporean poet, Cyril Wong. The theme captures the reflections of the past while imagining the potential held in the future. As a nation stepping out from the curtains of the pandemic, we face a world fraught with uncertainties, but are also presented with many possibilities and opportunities to chart our future together. The key to taking Singapore forward will be in our shared values and belief, a common understanding and vision for our future.

The arts uplift us, bring communities together, and give voice to our heritage and identity. Through the beauty and richness of stories, written, spoken, illustrated and performed, SWF is in a unique position to celebrate diverse cultures and forge common bonds to build empathy and understanding among us and others. As one of the few multilingual literary festivals in the world, SWF plays an important role locally, regionally and internationally as a node for literary exchange to facilitate greater understanding across communities.

SWF continues to honour the literary pioneers of Singapore Literature, with its spotlight this year on the pioneering women writers of the Malay literary scene. The Festival is the first platform to honour and showcase at a national level, the contributions of Raja Aisyah Sulaiman, Adibah Amin, Dr Hadijah Rahmat, Dr Sa’eda Buang, Rasiah Halil as well as the collective, Kumpulan Bebas Melata which includes Rohani Din, Khaziah Yem, Kamaria Buang, Faridah Taib, Nordita Taib. Spanning from the early 20^th century till today, their works sought to explain, interpret, understand, and respond to the world in which we live. I had the pleasure to meet with these distinguished women earlier at the Literary Pioneer exhibition at The Arts House. The exhibition titled Bukan Mungkin Lagi, Mesti!  or Not an If, but a Must! is a testament to their tenacity and perseverance.

Our local writers express and showcase our multicultural heritage through their works. I am pleased to note that SWF 2022 has co-curated programmes with the respective local Chinese, Malay and Tamil language and literary partners and communities to support greater grounds-up involvement in the Festival as part of efforts to build a more vibrant literary arts ecosystem. Its partners, such as the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers (ASTW) and Singapore Association of Writers (SAW), have generated a strong suite of multicultural and multilingual programmes that reflect the depth and diversity of the literary arts scene in Singapore.

This year, SWF features some 280 writers representing more than 20 countries such as Canada, France, India, Australia, Ireland, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It is key in profiling home-grown writers and Singapore literature to regional and international audiences, as well as creating opportunities for Singaporeans to meet the world’s top and emerging literary talents. I am happy to see that for the 2022 edition, Singaporean writers including Lee Tzu Pheng, Suratman Markasan, KTM Iqbal and Wong Yoon Wah are featured alongside international writers such as Claudia Rankine, Ted Chiang, Tung Chiao, Is Yuniarto and Suneel Krishnan.

This year’s edition also shines a spotlight on France as the international country focus. Working with the French Embassy in Singapore and Alliance Française Singapore, the Festival showcases and celebrates the rich history and diversity of French literature and culture. SWF’s programmes featuring headliners such as Pierre Bayard, Julia Billet and Bounthavy Suvilay, as well as an offering of French films in conjunction with the 2022 French Film Festival, will further promote mutual understanding between our two cultures.

Literary arts of various forms are celebrated at SWF, with innovative and engaging programmes that reach out to audiences from all walks of life. We hope that everyone can enjoy, benefit and contribute to our arts and heritage. At SWF 2022, festival goers can encounter stories in written, spoken, performed and visual formats through diverse forms such as comics, theatre, music, games and even technology. I am also heartened that the Festival presents programmes that promote inclusivity for and with persons with special needs, working with partners such as ART:DIS, Superhero Me and Kindle Garden, Singapore’s first inclusive preschool. The alumni of Kindle Garden will deliver an inclusive storytelling and sensory play session - “Come for Dinner, Stay for Supper” as they read short stories from two community arts projects.

I would like to thank the Arts House Limited for organising the SWF and the NAC for their support as the commissioner of the Festival.

I invite you to contemplate how far the Festival and our local arts sector have come; think about the “IFs” – the possibilities for the future; celebrate the diversity that the Festival presents, and connect with each other through the power and pleasure of stories. I hope everyone will enjoy participating in the various Festival programmes.

Thank you and have a wonderful evening.