(Singapore, 21 May 2026) A new cultural festival in Singapore is seeking to place books and board games on equal footing, bringing together two communities that have long evolved in parallel. The inaugural Books & Games Festival (BAGFest 2026), organised by literary charity Sing Lit Station together with Origame, will take place on Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 June (10:00am to 7:00pm) at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC).

Positioned as the first event of its kind, BAGFest aims to foreground analogue forms of creativity in an era increasingly defined by digital consumption. Over two days, the festival will gather independent publishers, writers, zine makers and tabletop game designers in a shared space dedicated to storytelling, design and play.

Visitors can expect a curated mix of independently published books and zines alongside contemporary Asian board games, many of them rooted in regional culture and narratives. A series of free programmes will run throughout the weekend, examining literary craft and game design in tandem, presenting new writing that engages with games as metaphor, and staging a live Dungeons & Dragons performance.

At its core, the festival proposes a simple idea: that reading and play are not separate pursuits but complementary ways of engaging with stories. It invites attendees to step away from screens and into a more tactile, communal experience - whether by browsing, gaming, or striking up conversations with fellow enthusiasts.

A central feature of the event is the “Read & Play Passport”, priced at $5 online and $8 at the door, which encourages visitors to explore the festival through a series of challenges. Participants who complete the passport can unlock rewards, including a limited-edition poetry.sg card game created exclusively for BAGFest - an experiment that organisers describe as possibly the first of its kind in Singapore’s literary scene. 

“BAGFest is about developing essential and strategic skills for every Singaporean,” said Joshua Ip, Executive Director of Sing Lit Station. “Reading builds communication and attention in an age of distraction, while tabletop gaming develops analysis and strategic thinking. It is also a celebration of the natural overlap between literary and gaming communities.”

Daryl Chow, co-founder of Origame, emphasised the narrative potential of games. “Tabletop games have always been a powerful storytelling medium. BAGFest allows us to showcase the depth and diversity of Asian game design alongside literary works, and to encourage new ideas and collaborations across both fields,” he said.

Applications remain open for exhibitors working in books, zines, tabletop games and related creative disciplines, with selections based on suitability and available space.

The festival reflects a broader commitment by its organisers to support local creative ecosystems. Origame, known for developing and publishing modern Asian board games, also runs the Asian Board Games Festival, a regional platform for designers and players. While Sing Lit Station continues to expand its programming through initiatives such as Poems on the MRT, Singapore Poetry Writing Month and Book-A-Writer. BAGFest ultimately extends an invitation to experience Singapore’s stories in multiple forms - through poetry and puzzles, novels and non-player characters. 

In a city often defined by speed, it offers a slower, more deliberate way to read, to play, and to connect. 

Event Details:

Dates: Saturday, 27 June and Sunday, 28 June 2026

Time: 10:00am - 7:00pm Venue: Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Multi-Purpose Hall, Level 7, 1 Straits Blvd, Singapore 018906 

Exhibition Fees (2 days): Half table: $125 Full table: $250 Two tables: $400

Final registration closes on 25 June 2026 (11:59pm)

More information and application details are available at: bit.ly/bagfest26

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