Pinoy author Caris Avendaño Cruz heads to Singapore Writers Festival

More than 300 writers, thinkers and storytellers will converge in Singapore this November as the Singapore Writers Festival returns with a packed program spanning fiction, crime, translation, journalism, architecture and interactive literary experiences.

Running from 13 to 22 November, the festival’s 29th edition will present more than 200 programs built around the theme “Hidden in Plain Sight,“ inviting audiences to look closer at stories, histories and ideas that are often overlooked or concealed beneath the surface.

Among the Southeast Asian voices joining the festival is Filipino author Caris Avendaño Cruz, who will be featured under SEA xChange, a program that places the region’s stories and experiences at the forefront.

Cruz, author of Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, joins Thai architect and writer Chatchavan Suwansawat in a slate that looks at Southeast Asia through literature, architecture, folklore, migration and everyday life. Conversations will touch on regional beliefs and superstitions, journalism in the Malay world, the built environment and the different ways migrants and locals experience a city.

Global lineup

The wider festival brings together acclaimed names from Singapore and around the world, including Amitav Ghosh, Tan Twan Eng, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Ruha Benjamin, Rachel Smythe, Robin Stevens, Shuang Xuetao, Kamala Chandrakirana, Yuvan Chandrasekar and Jemimah Wei.

One of this year’s major additions is the Crime and Mystery Spotlight, where writers examine the genre from different angles.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Jean Tay and Ovidia Yu will discuss how history and archival material can find new life in crime fiction in “Old Crimes, Fresh Takes.” South Korea’s Seo Mi-ae joins Rueben Dass and Jocelyn Suarez for “The Making of a Serial Killer,” while Robin Stevens and Louise Hegarty revisit Agatha Christie’s continuing influence on mystery writing.

Beyond genre fiction, the festival will tackle family histories, technology and contemporary life. Ghosh, Jemimah Wei and Balli Kaur Jaswal will explore the stories families leave unspoken in “What the Family Doesn’t Say.” Keynote sessions will also feature Ghosh on narratives surrounding the planet’s future, Stephen Witt on Nvidia and the rise of an artificial intelligence powerhouse, and Ruha Benjamin on biases embedded in technology and society.

Books beyond the page

The festival is also taking literature outside conventional panel discussions.

Literary walks, salon experiences combining conversation and food, writing games and interactive storytelling are among the activities lined up this year. “The Last Mansion Standing: Uncovering the House of Tan Yeok Nee” will take participants inside a restored Teochew mansion, while “Poetry Game Night” with Ella Frears turns writing into a game of chance. “The Salon with Pooja Nansi” offers a more intimate conversation over the female writers who have influenced Nansi’s life and work.

Younger readers also get their own space through SWF Playground, Youth Fringe and SWF Classroom. Programs range from discussions about rebellious heroines to illustrated storytelling, a parent-child treasure hunt and a mystery-writing challenge where students devise their own endings from a set of clues.