SG Culture Pass can be used for SingLit books from March 1, 2026; local films at SGIFF from Nov 26
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Books that qualify include fiction, poetry, plays and literary short essays in all four official languages authored by a Singapore citizen or permanent resident.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – SingLit books will be eligible for SG Culture Pass credits from March 1, 2026, while tickets to home-grown films screened at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), starting on Nov 26, can also be bought using the credits.
Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo made the announcement on Nov 7 at the opening of the Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), where he was the guest of honour.
The expansion of the government scheme, which gives Singaporeans aged 18 and above $100 each to spend on arts and heritage experiences, comes after months of talks with those in the book and film industries.
Books that qualify include fiction, poetry, plays and literary short essays in all four official languages authored by a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, and this applies only to physical copies bought at participating bookshops.
The SGIFF film programmes that qualify must be of feature length and directed, produced or written by a Singapore citizen or permanent resident, or be adapted from Singaporean intellectual property.
The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) has yet to finalise the list of participating bookshops.
Bookshops, as well as film-makers outside SGIFF who want to be included on the eligible list, can apply at from Nov 7.
Of the expansion of the SG Culture Pass to books, Mr Neo said: “I know that many of you have been looking forward to this, and MCCY has been working closely with bookstores, publishers and distributors to roll this out. I hope SG Culture Pass will be a key catalyst to help Singaporeans love SingLit.”
Launched on Sept 1, the SG Culture Pass scheme
In an update, the ministry said that more than $5 million worth of credits was used in the first two months of the initiative – about 1.7 per cent of the total $300 million set aside.
More than 435,000 Singaporeans have completed their registration for the SG Culture Pass, of whom 67 per cent have not attended a local arts and culture event in the past five years.
The extension of the initiative to books was promised at the start but faced complications. The definition of what constitutes a SingLit text required calibration and MCCY was mindful of ensuring credits are used only for suitable Singapore literary texts and not international novels or assessment books and textbooks.
This effort to increase interest in SingLit comes as works produced by Singapore authors are gaining increasing international recognition, from Felicia Low-Jimenez and Claire Low’s graphic novel Tiger Girls – included on the 2025 prestigious White Ravens list for children and young adults – to Wen-yi Lee’s duology
According to the National Library’s 2024 National Reading Habits Survey
Said Mr Neo of SingLit’s importance: “These works bear witness to the Singapore story and our nation’s multicultural heritage. They help us learn more about ourselves and one another.”
SWF director Yong Shu Hoong said participants of the writers festival, which will feature more than 300 local and international headliners from Nov 7 to 16, can expect discussion to range from experimental poetry to artificial intelligence’s influence on people’s way of life.
He added: “At the heart of SWF is our commitment to uplifting Singapore writers.”
Invited international guests in 2025 include Babel (2022) author R.F. Kuang Ken Liu Fuchsia Dunlop Victoria Chang
SGIFF runs from Nov 26 to Dec 7, with Taiwanese actress and film-maker Shu Qi adding star power to the mix.
