Do you want to organise a writers’ festival?
Get a few lessons and observations from Yong Shu Hoong, the new festival director of the Singapore Writers Festival
We’re not talking about a small one, but one that features over 200 programmes involving local and international authors, speakers, presenters, and guest curators in a span of 10 days.
Oh, and it’s now on its 27th edition.
Fortunately, Yong Shu Hoong – the new festival director of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF) – is up to the task.
“While I’m familiar with the festival, it’s definitely a whole new experience for me, going from being a festival-goer and participating speaker to now being at the helm of SWF,” says the award-winning poet, writer and educator.
“The festival has grown to become a highly anticipated event on the cultural calendar, and year after year we have loyal festival-goers as well as new audience members joining us for a myriad of different programmes that feature some of the major literary talents from around the globe alongside homegrown and regional presenters.
“To successfully plan a festival of such a scale and uphold SWF to the high standards that my predecessors had set, I had to look at SWF through a new lens and ask questions, like what SWF means to audiences, and how it can evolve and grow further.”
3 takeaways
Since it’s Shu Hoong’s first festival, what are some of the things he’s learnt about organising and running one? And what tips can we get from them?
#1 Look at it as a collection of pieces that need to fit under one theme
“As a poet, one thing I’ve learnt about organising and running SWF is that it sometimes feels like the intricate task of preparing and compiling my poems into a new collection,” he answers.
“The book title is like the festival theme that anchors the task, and all the poems I’m trying to put together are like the various programmes I’m trying to fit within this year’s festival under the theme.
“I hope to give festival-goers a sense of purpose and coherence in how the overall programming for SWF 2024 comes together.”
#2 Mind your language(s)
“I discovered that I can still ensure SWF retains its unique positioning as a multilingual literary festival even if I’m only fluent in English and Chinese, and don’t communicate in the Malay and Tamil languages.
“As long as I keep an open mind in desiring to find out more about the needs and interests of the different languages’ literary communities in Singapore, I can still make a difference through the help of my programming team and guest curators.
“(I also) listen to feedback from the SingLit scene to ensure that our programming is done in a meaningful way that is relevant to the theme, and also respectful of the concerns of the communities writing in these different languages.”
#3 Work with the best people
“It really does take an entire village to ensure the success of a big festival like SWF. I do feel that my organisation, Arts House Limited, with its strong track record of organising major festivals like SWF and Singapore International Festival of Arts, is backing me up with the required staff and resources to get things done.
“As the festival director only starting my job this year, it’s sometimes difficult to imagine how something as massive as SWF, with so many concurrent programmes happening across different time belts and in different rooms at The Arts House or off-site, can come together seamlessly when the start date arrives.
“So I constantly remind myself that, as many moving parts as there are in SWF, there are also the right people doing their jobs well in this ‘village’, who are here to give me the needed support. And I assure myself to have faith that things will fall into place in time, as long as I do well in my own job scope – which all the members of my organisation are also working towards in their respective capacities.
“One important thing to note is that the idea of ‘village’ also extends to partners, stakeholders and members from the SingLit community who I work with to bring each edition of SWF to its final form. I might be the spokesperson in the spotlight doing interviews and speaking about the festival, but we must also keep in mind the efforts of the many people who also contribute in their own ways to the success of SWF.”
What to look forward to at SWF 2024
• Writing prompts
Use SWF’s theme for this year, “In Our Nature”, for ideas. You can: look inward and explore your identity; analyse the impact of human activity on nature; or focus on elements of nature and the environment itself.
• Go for something new
Attend those SWF events with topics that you’re not familiar with and you’ve never tried before.
If you’ve never met a poet or been to a poetry reading, then maybe it’s time? How about getting screenwriting tips to start a novel? A workshop to help you pen a tale of horror?
The Singapore Writers Festival will be held from 08 to 17 November 2024. Find them here and on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Cover photo by Michaela St on Unsplash