The Asian Women Writers' Festival (AWWF) is an inaugural showcase for Asian women writers of Singapore and the region put together by Singapore-based Indian-interest publisher, India Se Media. The two-day event at Singapore Management University (SMU) will feature writers from over six countries of South Asia and Southeast Asia.

 

Things kick off with a South Asia-themed panel discussion moderated by India's social commentator and pulp novelist, Shobhaa De, followed by a Southeast Asian one moderated by Singaporean poet and professor Kirpal Singh of SMU. Budding writers should try the writing workshop on the second day by novelist Krishna Udayasankar and if social activism is more your thing, hang out at the round table discussion involving beloved Singaporean activist and feminist Constance Singam, Shobhaa De and journalist Barkha Dutt. 

 

Other established writers involved are Singapore's Sharmini Flint, Jolene Tan and Josephine Chia, Philipines's Noelle Q de Jesus, Malaysia's Fa Abdul, Bangladesh's Sadaf Saaz Siddiqui and Pakistan's Reema Abbasi.

 

Best of all, the festival is instituting the first Asian Woman Writer of the Year Award, which carries a cash prize of $5,000. Get cracking on those manuscripts!

 

This is the first of what will be an annual event, aimed at highlighting equality for women and other marginalized populations. Expect panelists and books in translation from Afghanistan, China, Iran, Japan and other places in the coming years. 

 

The event will take place on Jul 1-2, from 6-9pm. For tickets, click here.