Singapore Writer's Festival, one of Asia's premier literary events, started in 1966 as a biennial festival. Now held yearly and organised by the National Arts Council, the festival is a much anticipated event on the cultural calendar, presenting the world's major literary talents to Singaporeans while shining a spotlight on home grown creative talents.

 

The SWF is one of the few multi-lingual literary festivals in the world, celebrating the written and spoken word in Singapore's official languages – English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil. Today the heart of the Festival District is located on the Singapore Management University's Campus Green; and in the surrounding venues including The Arts House, the National Museum of Singapore, the Singapore Art Museum and The National Library. Singapore Writer's Festival 2016 goes by the theme of "More Than Just Writers". Where writing serves various purposes such as informing, entertaining or discussing.

 

Targeting the general public with interest in literature and writing, the concept revolves around writing serving various purposes, with writers taking on multiple roles such as an informer, entertainer or historian based on the nature of their work.