The Singapore Writers Festival and the Promotion of Literary Culture

Postracial Policing, “Mother Tongue” Sourcing, and Images of Singlish Standard

“…The Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), a key site for my analysis in this article, first began in 1986 as part of the Singapore Arts Festival (Poon 2018, 127). An officially multilingual affair, the festival has historically been predominantly Anglophone (ibid; see also Tay 2010, 121).…”

“…An officially multilingual affair, the festival has historically been predominantly Anglophone (ibid; see also Tay 2010, 121). SWF is important to the Singapore state’s arts‐ and cultural policy (Ooi 2008; 2010), contributing to “strategic cultivation of [Singapore’s] identity as nation and global city” (Poon 2018, 128). Scores of literary figures—both Singaporean and international—are featured annually, with programing fitted to a rotating cycle of themes that highlight Singapore’s official languages.…”

“…Scores of literary figures—both Singaporean and international—are featured annually, with programing fitted to a rotating cycle of themes that highlight Singapore’s official languages. Though frequently presented as merely instrumental to state branding efforts—as so much “creative icing” on an “economically vibrant cake” (Ministry of Information and the Arts 2000, 47, cited in Poon 2018, 130)—others have pointed out that festivals like SWF, whatever their function in statecraft and branding, still serve as key sites for the ritual performance of a reflexively literary Singaporean public, as well as sites at which issues of broader social and cultural concern are articulated (Tay 2010, 124–130). In 2019, many of the sessions, for instance, dealt with issues of translation, and the boundaries of the category of “Sing Lit”—a portmanteau of “Singapore(an)” and “Literature,” the boundaries of which have been extensively debated (ought it to include all literature in Singapore, or just works by Singaporean citizens?…”