Join our handwriting showcase at bommoi! Across the festive days, our bookstore keeper will hand-pick one Korean sentence and one English sentence from our shelves. Pick up a pen, write out either sentence in your own style, and display your card on our community wall. Browse the gallery, vote for your favorites, and see who takes home a special bookstore gift!

Free entry.

Catch the East Side Buzz on Singapore Independent Bookshop Day! Get ready for the inaugural SGIBD! We are bringing huge energy to Chin Mee Chin Confectionery with "The Easties Book & Craft Market” on 2 & 3 October. Shop from amazing homegrown creatives, grab your favourite CMC buns and toasts, and meet author Alfian Sa'at at the relaunch of “The Invisible Manuscript". Don't miss out on the ultimate Sing Lit celebration!📚✨

(Relaunch of “The Invisible Manuscript” by Alfian Sa’at is at 5PM on 3 October and requires registration, through https://woodsinthebooks.peatix.com.)

Free entry.

An interactive AI (Artificial Illumination) poetry workshop using a cutting-edge proprietary technology: OHP (Overhead Projection). Participants will spend 45 minutes inputting their favourite old/new poem into this AI-powered technological paradigm with Small Language Modelling tools (e.g. markers and transparencies). We will then spend the next 45 minutes uploading our AI-OHP poetry experiments to our collective consciousnesses via sonic wave distribution.

Date: 2 October, Friday
Time: 6PM - 8PM
Location: Woods in the Books New Bahru

Free with registration, register at https://woodsinthebooks.peatix.com/.

Recommended donation of $5 to Sing Lit Station.

A book display from 3 October to 3 November 2026, featuring 10 book recommendations from President Tharman, and why he thinks they are worth reading. The owners of Book Bar will be around from 10AM to 5PM on 3 Oct, so if you have any questions drop by and we'll be happy to answer them!

Free entry.

Every reader has a bookshop memory. A rainy afternoon. A cover that stopped you mid-aisle. A title pressed into your hands by a stranger.

In celebration of Singapore Independent Bookshop Day, we're collecting yours. Drop by, pick up a pen, and add your story to our community wall — no ticket, no registration, just a moment to pause and remember why you love books.

The wall will be up all day. Come anytime.

Free entry.

Every fairy tale has a forest in it. The place where something unknown gets planted in a child's imagination, and grows. Picture book author & illustrator Josef Lee's Eco Seeds Story Prompt cards, created especially for Indie Bookshop Day, work the same way. He will read from his Eco book series, then hand the cards to the children in the room, who'll use them to build a new eco story of their own.

Limited to six places. Free with registration, to register at link in Eliko's IG bio, released at later date.

A small corner at the counter dubbed the "Customs Office". Visitors bring in their family heirlooms or thrifted finds. As the proprietor of Hungry Traveller, I will provide a "Verbal Passport"—a quick assessment of the book’s origin, age, and physical condition. For every book appraised, I will give the owner a Hungry Traveller "Preservation Kit", which includes information on how to care for your old books, silica for storage, special acid free paper for bookplates along with one of our special bookmarks.

Free entry.

Join our handwriting showcase at bommoi! Across the festive days, our bookstore keeper will hand-pick one Korean sentence and one English sentence from our shelves. Pick up a pen, write out either sentence in your own style, and display your card on our community wall. Browse the gallery, vote for your favorites, and see who takes home a special bookstore gift!

Free entry.

Natventure invites you on a bookish adventure over the weekend at BreadTalk IHQ. Explore picture books and children's stories that spark curiosity and wonder, and transport yourself into different worlds waiting to be discovered. Join us as we celebrate stories that ignite the explorer in every reader.

Free entry, next to entrance of mall.

What does it take to run a bookstore? In this insightful session led by Denise Tan, co-founder of Closetful of Books - a roaming bookstore that specialises in children's literature - participants will explore the essential behind-the-scenes processes of running a book business. They will learn about the intricacies of selecting, curating and ordering books, as well as the financial considerations involved, such as margins and costs. This engaging experience encourages readers to think critically about the effort that goes into every book they see on the shelves and hopefully will inspire aspiring booksellers to appreciate the art of the literary world while helping customers discover titles that resonate with them.

Free entry.

Join us for an afternoon of tempting (and perhaps unexpected) cuisine inspired readings.

Free entry.

Online bookstore Wormhole lives their dream of running a bookshop in person with a full-weekend pop-up at Dakota Dreams! Come browse their selection of books and merch, and challenge your friends (or yourself!) in a series of literary minigames.

Plus, illustrators Doodnll and HAFI join in on the fun with a live drawing challenge: tell them a book title and take home their interpretation of it on a limited-edition bookmark!

Free entry.

Madi, founder of S.U.R., will type personalised Malay poetry on his typewriter as part of a consultation-style experience where "patients" seek poetic expressions. Inspired by Sapardi Djoko Damono's Dukamu Abadi, we explore how sorrow can be a catalyst for new intent and purpose.

Sitting face-to-face, Madi will listen and ask thoughtful questions to explore whatever stories or feelings "patients" choose to share. Madi will then type out a unique poetic "prescription" as a keepsake to hold and reflect on.

Consultations run from 1PM to 6PM on 3 October. Each 30-minute private session is $15 and includes a hand-typed Malay poetry to take home.

This is a talk by Joshua Chiang, creator and comics artist of the graphic novels Ronin Rat and Ninja Cat and The Five-Foot-Way Detective. Joshua currently works out of Cambodia as a comics creator and artist. He is much sought after in Cambodia as a speaker and has been featured in the main media in Cambodia. His graphic novels will be up for a special sale during this event.

Free entry.

In celebration of Singapore Independent Bookshop Day, we are diving into the world of self-publishing.

What is a zine? Why do zine makers publish zines?

Beyond The Hijab and Shuxia share their journeys of making their own zines — a perfect fit for a day that celebrates independent voices in publishing.

Free with registration, register at https://forms.gle/4Z3Ftqo5B88b1i4Z8.

Read. Play. Create. Laugh. That’s what Children’s Day should be about! Celebrate Children’s Day and Singapore Independent Bookshop Day with Josephine Tan (橙子老师) at Union Book Store! Inspired by “We Are Children, This Is Our Celebration,” expect stories that spark the imagination, games that get everyone involved, hands-on crafts and plenty of laughter along the way. Come read, come play, come celebrate — because this day belongs to the children!

Free with registration, register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991298636827?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Batik can be appreciated as a form of written narrative and, in a way, they are like “wearable books”.

In this session, Batik expert Hafiz Rashid will either recommend a batik or a book in response to what the participant brings to the batik librarian’s counter at Wardah Books, specially set up for Indie Bookshop Day 2026, and in conjunction with Batik Day on 2 October.

If a participant brings a batik, the batik librarian will help to “read” their batik - sharing the stories within its motifs – and then give book recommendations based on these stories.

And if a participant brings a book, the batik librarian will respond to the book and pair it with a batik textile, selecting the motifs (and sharing their stories) which the librarian feels, would best complement the book that the participant has brought to the counter.

In this way, we hope to make participants see both literary arts culture, intellectual culture, as well as wearable culture in a more integrated, holistic way, while at the same time connecting to Kampong Gelam's layered history in fashion as well as in print.

Hafiz Rashid is an experienced museum docent and storyteller with a deep passion for the history, culture, folklore, and languages of the Nusantara (Malay Archipelago), with a special focus in textiles. Drawing from his background as a library officer with the National Library Board (NLB), he explores the connections between books, textiles, and storytelling traditions across the Nusantara.

Free entry.

Be inspired by David Tsnen, international author of the latest book Start Sketching, Start Drawing. Watch his creative techniques come to life in an engaging and inspiring live demonstration. Whether you are a beginner or an art enthusiast, come learn, explore, and be inspired!

Free entry.

Join us for an exclusive conversation with Beatrix Leow, author of Point of Information, as we dive into her latest BL novel and uncover the stories, characters, and ideas behind the pages. Whether you're a longtime BL fan or simply curious about the genre, come meet the author, hear what inspired the story, and discover what happens when old feelings, complicated relationships, and a high-stakes debate competition collide.

About Point of Information Pierre Tan returns to his former secondary school, Zitan High, years after competing in a debate competition there, only to find himself tasked with preparing a team of four very different students for the same competition.

Although eager to guide them, Pierre is reluctant to work closely with his boss, Chen Kai Wen, with whom he shares a complicated past. While Pierre puts on a brave front to support his students, the competition force him to confront painful memories from his past.

Free entry.

Join us at bommoi during designated hours for a special live portrait session! Buy 3 or more books and receive a complimentary hand-drawn portrait by art teacher and passionate urban sketcher Sangmi Lee (@elyssaart). Drop by, pick out your favorite reads, and take home a lovely sketched memory!

Free with any purchase of 3 or more titles.

A hands-on workshop where parents learn practical techniques to make storytime engaging and enjoyable for their children.

$32/ticket, register at https://yuyi.com.sg/products/event-261003.

Blind Book Swap – Indie Edition! Bring an underrated book you’re dying to recommend, wrap it up, and write some clues on the outside: why you loved it and why it deserves a second reader. We’ll put the books on the table, everyone picks one, then we unwrap our swapped books and talk about what we brought! Refreshments provided.

Free with registration, to register at link in Epigram Books' IG bio, released at later date.

Join us at bommoi for an exclusive hybrid author talk with Ryujin Jang, one of contemporary Korean literature’s most vital voices and author of the newly translated novel To the Moon. Acclaimed novelist Jung Yi-hyun remarked on her work: “If one were to build a time capsule that explains today’s Korean society, this is a book you could never leave out.”

Connect with fellow book lovers in-store as the author joins us live from Korea for an interactive afternoon of reading, conversation, and real-time dialogue. Every book purchase includes an authentic signed edition, shipped straight from Korea to bommoi following the event.

Purchase at link in bommoi's IG bio, released at later date. Ticket includes copy of book.

Join us at Books Ahoy! FORUM for a magical storytime featuring Ai & Aiko and The Dinosaur Hug—a heartwarming tale that's sure to delight young readers.

After the reading, stay for an exciting, interactive drawing activity. Perfect for creative little hands! Bring the family along for an afternoon of stories, imagination, and dinosaur-sized fun! 💚

Free with registration, register at https://woodsinthebooks.peatix.com.

Catch the East Side Buzz on Singapore Independent Bookshop Day! Get ready for the inaugural SGIBD! We are bringing huge energy to Chin Mee Chin Confectionery with "The Easties Book & Craft Market” on 2 & 3 October. Shop from amazing homegrown creatives, grab your favourite CMC buns and toasts, and meet author Alfian Sa'at at the relaunch of “The Invisible Manuscript". Don't miss out on the ultimate Sing Lit celebration!📚✨

(Relaunch of “The Invisible Manuscript” by Alfian Sa’at is at 5PM on 3 October and requires registration, through https://woodsinthebooks.peatix.com.)

Free entry.

This is a book sharing of SQ21: Singapore Queer Families in the 21st Century by some of the writers who had contributed their stories in the book. Moderated by Jason Wee, the sharing promises to shed light on a side of Singapore society that is seldom public.

Free entry.

AFTERIMAGE presents the relaunch of Alfian Sa’at’s The Invisible Manuscript, a collection first composed and circulated privately when the poet was 22. Now in print once again, these poems and provocative texts confront desire, memory, identity and belonging with candour. This gathering celebrates a work that remains an uncompromising contribution from one of Singapore’s most distinctive literary voices.

Location: Woods in the Books East Coast/Katong

Free with registration, register at https://woodsinthebooks.peatix.com.

Creative nonfiction is a genre that has brought together the unlikeliest of fellow travellers. Join poets-turned-essayists Mok Zining and Theophilus Kwek, arts writer Akanksha Raja, urban planner Samantha Chia (of the UNIT project) and playwright Nabilah Said as they share their latest projects and obsessions!

Free entry.

Wormhole pulls out all the stops with a PowerPoint Party double bill weekend. On Saturday, unwind at the end of the day as your fellow readers give bite-size presentations on the books they love, hate, and everything in between! Queer horror, the science behind Project Hail Mary, historical gems hidden in Amanda Lee Koe's work, The Lord of the Rings and AI — it's a treasure trove of revelations and insights as we learn from each other in the Bookworm Edition of Wormhole's PowerPoint Party.

Purchase tickets at link in Wormhole's IG bio, released at later date.

Fairy tales are old technology. Long before they were written down, they did one particular job. They carried a child to a threshold: the edge of the forest, the door left open — and let them face what was on the other side, from inside the safety of a family's arms.

A safe flight simulator for the world outside.

Fairy tales survive because each generation retells them. To mark Singapore's first Independent Bookshop Day, Eliko wants to see what stories today's children make, when they're given their own threshold to stand at.

The story prompts they'll be working with are new. Eliko recently ran an open call — Threshold — inviting Singapore illustrators to make images built at exactly that edge between the known and the unknown. Those images will become the starting point for a group of children building a fairy tale of their own — and performing it as an improvised puppet show.

On October 3rd, Threshold comes to Chinatown Complex.

The puppet show will screen on a closed shop shutter in the market corridor. Alongside it, a guerrilla takeover of the same corridor — the selected illustrators' work, framed and hung directly on the market windows, each piece beside the source image it answers.

Come and see what a threshold looks like, held open by a market corridor, a puppet show, and a child's idea of the unknown.

Free with registration, to register at link in Eliko's IG bio, released at later date.

A book display from 3 October to 3 November 2026, featuring 10 book recommendations from President Tharman, and why he thinks they are worth reading. The owners of Book Bar will be around from 10AM to 5PM on 3 Oct, so if you have any questions drop by and we'll be happy to answer them!

Free entry.

Every reader has a bookshop memory. A rainy afternoon. A cover that stopped you mid-aisle. A title pressed into your hands by a stranger.

In celebration of Singapore Independent Bookshop Day, we're collecting yours. Drop by, pick up a pen, and add your story to our community wall — no ticket, no registration, just a moment to pause and remember why you love books.

The wall will be up all day. Come anytime.

Free entry.

Join our handwriting showcase at bommoi! Across the festive days, our bookstore keeper will hand-pick one Korean sentence and one English sentence from our shelves. Pick up a pen, write out either sentence in your own style, and display your card on our community wall. Browse the gallery, vote for your favorites, and see who takes home a special bookstore gift!

Free entry.

Natventure invites you on a bookish adventure over the weekend at BreadTalk IHQ. Explore picture books and children's stories that spark curiosity and wonder, and transport yourself into different worlds waiting to be discovered. Join us as we celebrate stories that ignite the explorer in every reader.

Free entry, next to entrance of mall.

Join author Terence Ang for the launch of his new book, Brokenness Becomes Beautiful. The event offers readers an opportunity to discover the inspiration and stories behind the book, hear from the author, and engage in a conversation about his work.

Free with registration, register at https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/1999080757359.

This session explores the diverse range of warangka (keris sheaths) and their distinct forms across the Nusantara.The team from Nur Pusaka SG will introduce visitors to the different regional styles of warangka, alongside key keris terms such as pamor, dhapur and warangan. Visitors can also stamp a pre-cut bookmark with their choice of Nusantaran warangka design for $2 each. 

Nur Pusaka SG was founded by Nidhar, a Javanese keris enthusiast and collector. Still early in his journey, he joins us to share his insights and passion for the keris and its traditions. Session will run from 12PM to 6PM.

Free, bookmarks at $2 each.

Online bookstore Wormhole lives their dream of running a bookshop in person with a full-weekend pop-up at Dakota Dreams! Come browse their selection of books and merch, and challenge your friends (or yourself!) in a series of literary minigames.

Plus, illustrators Doodnll and HAFI join in on the fun with a live drawing challenge: tell them a book title and take home their interpretation of it on a limited-edition bookmark!

Free entry.

Poetry has the power to heal and to recalibrate. This consultation is conducted by a poet and clients are encouraged to share their stories in the casual setting of the bookshop. Clients may choose to share specific memories, give prompts or bring up something they've been carrying with them for a while. They'll be asked follow-up questions. The poet will respond by prescribing a custom typewritten poem as 'medicine' that the client can take with them as a physical, analogue keepsake and reminder. Each consultation usually takes around 30 minutes, and is charged at $15 per poem.

Madi is a poet who has performed across Nusantara and has had his writings published in Kembara Nusa. He is the founder and program curator for S.U.R. — a community that works closely with Nusantara poets and writers, hosting poetry events across this region.

$15/Poem

Join us at bommoi for an interactive Korean picture book storytelling performance led by Inya Kang. A veteran performer and drama educator trained at Evolve Arts Academy with over 15 years of stage experience, Inya brings characters and tales vividly to life. Recommended for children aged 5–9 years old. Free admission.

Free entry.

Wormhole pulls out all the stops with a PowerPoint Party double bill weekend. On Sunday, come for PowerPoint Party: Behind The Book with eight presenters, including International Booker Prize-winning translator Deepa Bhasthi, a veteran book salesperson, an editor, a literary prize judge, a librarian, and more! They will each deliver a special presentation to take you behind the scenes, through the role they play in the literary ecosystem, and give you a deeper appreciation of the magic (and the hard work) behind all your favourite books. Deepa Bhasthi's appearance is made possible by Asia Creative Writing Programme.

Purchase tickets at link in Wormhole's IG bio, released at later date.

Join us at bommoi during designated hours for a special live portrait session! Buy 3 or more books and receive a complimentary hand-drawn portrait by art teacher and passionate urban sketcher Sangmi Lee (@elyssaart). Drop by, pick out your favorite reads, and take home a lovely sketched memory!

Free with any purchase of 3 or more titles.

Join us at bommoi for an interactive Korean picture book storytelling performance led by Inya Kang. A veteran performer and drama educator trained at Evolve Arts Academy with over 15 years of stage experience, Inya brings characters and tales vividly to life. Recommended for children aged 5–9 years old. Free admission.

Free entry.

Ways of Seeing (John Berger, 1972) — A gallery beyond literature, wonder into the world of arts and music. Grassroots Book Room breaks down its literary walls and transforms into a visual arts museum, a sound scape, a room of beyond literary beauty. See for yourself, before speaking or believing. “Seeing comes before words.”

$35/ticket, to purchase at link released at later date.