‘Chocolat’ author among speakers unveiled for 19th Singapore Writers Festival
From L-R: Joanne Harris, Atia Abawi and O Thiam Chin will all be appearing at this year’s Singapore Writers Festival (Photos courtesy of the authors)
The 19th edition of the annual Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) will again be graced by prominent names from the literary world.
Among them are award-winning British author Joanne Harris, whose novel “Chocolat” was the basis for the 2000 movie adaptation starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. Man Booker International Prize-nominee Eka Kurniawan will also be in attendance, alongside Singapore’s O Thiam Chin, winner of the inaugural Epigram Fiction Prize award.
Notable personalities such as former CNN Middle East correspondent and novelist Atia Abawi and Evan Puschak a.k.a. The Nerdwriter will also be present to deliver lectures as part of the new SWF Classroom Series. The Series will cover a wide range of issues from pop culture and football in the Middle East to the global spectre of terrorism.
Taking place in the Civic District from 4-13 November, the theme of this year’s SWF is Sayang, a Malay term with multiple meanings. It can be used to express love as well as a sense of pity and regret.
More information on SWF 2016 will be released in early September. Ticketing details and updates are available at www.singaporewritersfestival.com, and www.facebook.com/sgwritersfest
Advance sales for the SWF Festival Pass, which gives attendees entry into more than 100 events at the festival, will begin on 8 August (Monday) and ends on 5 September. The SWF attracted some 19,700 attendees last year.
