Unleash your child’s inner author with a series of kid-friendly workshops and activities at the 2021 edition of the Singapore Writers Festival
Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) is back, and this year, the festival will run from 5 to 14 November 2021! Not only is the 2021 edition bringing together a diverse group of local and international writers and content creators, but its hybrid lineup will also showcase more than 140 programmes that revolve around the theme Guilty Pleasures. The programmes take place either online or in person, and invite you to explore your own guilty pleasures, be that a novel you secretly love or a pop song that’s giving you a serious case of earworm.
Need more incentive to attend? This year’s speakers include some of the world’s biggest literary names – think Ocean Vuong and R.L. Stine; Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton series; Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love – and even celebrities like Queer Eye star Tan France, plus Masterchef judge and chef Bjorn Shen. But SWF 2021 isn’t just for adults, as there’s plenty of literary fun for little ones aged 4 and above from storytelling by famous illustrator Ross Collins to writing workshops by acclaimed authors Sylvia Bishop and Debbi Michiko Florence, and cooking workshops with Shirley Wong, aka, Little Miss Bento! Keep scrolling to see what Singapore Writers Festival has in store for families and children of all ages, and how to score festival passes!
Kid-friendly fun at the SWF Playground
There are more than 30 programmes available for kids this year under SWF Playground. This segment doesn’t just let children explore their creative talents, it also lets them interact with some of the world’s best children’s book authors and illustrators through a series of workshops, conversations and activities. SWF Playground lets your little one discover a diverse landscape of writers from Singapore and around the globe. Wondering which workshops will expand your child’s imagination and creativity? We’ve shortlisted a few fun options for various age groups:
TomDogfoolery and Other Animal Shenanigans with Ross Collins
Join famous illustrator Ross Collins on an animal-filled adventure, as he reads from some of his popular children’s picture books This is a Dog and There’s a Bear on My Chair. Afterwards, Ross will also do a series of drawings to keep kids enthralled. This activity is pre-recorded.
Age range: 4 – 6 years
When: 7 November 2021, 1pm – 1:45pm
How much: Festival Pass or Festival Pass Plus (Starting from $20)
Adventures in My Lunchbox with Little Miss Bento
Celebrity food artist and cookbook author Shirley Wong, aka, Little Miss Bento will teach kids bento-making skills and techniques, so they can make their own adorable and appetising bento box for lunch!
Age range: 7 – 12 years
When: 6 November 2021, 12pm – 1pm; 13 November, 12:30pm – 1:30pm
How much: $20 per child
Write Your Next Adventure with Author Debbi Michiko Florence
Compelling characters are the backbone of every good story. Author Debbi Michiko Florence – author of the award-winning Jasmine Toguchi series – will lead this workshop and share tips on how to use personal experiences, hopes and dreams to create intriguing characters.
Age range: 7 – 9 years
When: 6 November 2021, 8pm – 9:30pm
How much: Festival Pass or Festival Pass Plus (Starting from $20)
Detectives and Agents on Tour! with Author Sylvia Bishop
The key to any good mystery story is the clues that pop up along the way. Let your little writer sit down over Zoom with author Sylvia Bishop, author of The Secret of the Night Train, and learn how to lay clues that will mislead readers but make sense at the end when all is revealed.
Age range: 10 – 12 years
When: 6 November, 5:30pm – 7pm
How much: Festival Pass or Festival Pass Plus (Starting from $20)
Learn about local legends
The Literary Pioneer programme is a key feature of SWF’s annual programme roundup and is often focused on local literary legends. This year, SWF is staging a playground-themed Literary Pioneer Exhibition – the first of its kind for SWF – which will focus on Hedwig Anuar, the first Singaporean director of the National Library and possibly Singapore’s biggest bookworm. The exhibition will focus on her life and work as a champion of children’s literature and inspire you to discover libraries and books as spaces of literary imagination. You can explore the exhibition with the kiddos either in person at the National Library Plaza or on the Literary Pioneer Exhibition microsite!
When: 5 November 2021, 5pm – 10pm; 6 – 14 November 2021, 10am – 10pm
Where: National Library Plaza & online
How much: FREE
Get your tickets
Need a quick recap? Here are all the deets:
Singapore Writers Festival
When: 5 – 14 November 2021
Where: Multiple locations plus online. Click here for a detailed list of programmes
Admission:
- The Festival Pass (FP) is priced at $20 as a taster for SWF programmes. It includes access to all programmes except In Conversation, Meet the Author & Festival Headliners sessions.
- The Festival Pass Plus (FP+) is priced at $35 with access to all SWF programmes.
- There are select experiential programmes that will be individually ticketed, and these are separate from the programming underneath both Festival Passes.
- Students can also enjoy Festival Passes at a 20% concession price.
Want to attend Singapore Writers Festival 2021? Click here to get your Festival Passes!
Singapore Writers Festival, www.singaporewritersfestival.com