The Straits Times partners NLB on crossword series inspired by local food and culture

SINGAPORE – The Straits Times and the National Library Board (NLB) will launch a new weekly crossword puzzle series – with a distinctly Singaporean flavour – featuring clues inspired by local food, slang, cultural references and shared everyday experiences familiar to readers here.

Starting on May 31, a new ST×NLB Crossword will be published every Sunday in the Life section of ST’s print edition, as well as online through ST’s website and app – with the digital version also accessible via the NLB app.

The answer key for each puzzle will be available on the same day in an online-only companion column called Cross-References. Answers will also be published the following week in print.

The six-month pilot partnership brings together contributors from both organisations to create original crosswords tailored to local audiences – a departure from the largely American- and British-centric puzzles that dominate the format internationally.

“We are constantly innovating to find new ways to engage with our readers and we have been actively exploring games as one such area,” said Mr Jaime Ho, editor of The Straits Times.

Referring to ST’s earlier experiments with games, including a hidden picture challenge launched during the SG60 celebrations in 2025, he added that “a crossword has been on our wishlist”, but many existing puzzles were either too generic or required US knowledge.

The partnership traces its roots to the Love Our Libraries and Archives (LOLA) series in 2025, when NLB introduced three locally themed crossword puzzles as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.

Ms Rei Kurohi, assistant editor of ST’s newsroom strategy team, said she was struck by how naturally Singaporean references translated into the crossword format after encountering the LOLA puzzles while the team was exploring new forms of interactive and games-based audience engagement.

“When I saw clues tied to Singaporean culture, I immediately thought this was something ST’s local readers would connect with and instinctively understand,” she added.

That experience led ST to approach NLB with the idea of jointly developing an original crossword series featuring local knowledge, wordplay and cultural touchpoints.

Unlike syndicated crossword puzzles, this series is entirely original and handcrafted, with contributors from both organisations creating clues and puzzle grids specifically for Singaporean audiences.

On top of clues based on general knowledge or current affairs, the puzzles will include references ranging from local mascots and familiar foods to school experiences and Singlish terms, with the aim of creating a sense of satisfaction for local readers when recognising a clue tied to their own lived experiences.

“There is something satisfying and novel about seeing local culture represented in a crossword,” said NLB librarian Sasha Tan, who created the LOLA puzzles.

The accompaniment Cross-References column is inspired by Wordplay, The New York Times’ companion crossword feature. It will offer explanations behind selected clues while recommending books and materials connected to words appearing in the puzzles.

“The series is part of our ongoing efforts to share the wealth of resources available through NLB in creative ways,” said Ms Catherine Lau, deputy chief executive of NLB’s Archives and Libraries Group.

“We hope readers will find themselves challenged and inspired to explore highlighted materials in the Cross-References column as they attempt these puzzles.”

ST and NLB hope the combination of local references, humour and wordplay will encourage readers to make the crossword part of their weekly Sunday routine.