The Singapore prize is a biennial award that honours the best in local publishing. Established in 2012, it is organised by the Singapore Book Publishers Association (SBPA). Submissions are accepted in four main categories: literary work, education titles, professional titles and children’s books. In addition, the prestigious Book of the Year title is chosen from subsidiary award winners. Translated works (from a foreign language into a Singapore official language) are also eligible for submission.
The prize will recognise and reward writers who have contributed to Singapore’s cultural development. It is a “honourable recognition of the contributions and achievements of our authors, in their chosen fields.” The organisers hope that the prize will encourage Singaporeans to read more. The winner will receive a cash prize of S$10,000 and a certificate, and finalists will be presented with a trophy by the President of Singapore.
This year’s award was open to both fiction and nonfiction. The shortlisted entries were based on a wide range of topics, including history, culture, and personal stories. The winning entry was “Ali Bin Salim: An Untold Story”, written by Salim Ibrahim. This is the first time a Singaporean has won this award. The other finalists were Daryl Qilin Yam, Pan Zheng Lei and rmaa cureess.
In the past, the Singapore prize has been awarded to books on Singapore’s history and culture. Among these are “Singapore And The Silk Road Of The Sea, 1300-1800” by archaeologist John N Miksic and Professor Kishore Mahbubani’s book on Singapore art. Professor Mahbubani said that the winner of this year’s award was significant because it provided a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s place in Asia. The book also helped dispel myths and misconceptions about the origin of Singapore.
The Earthshot Prize, founded by Britain’s Prince William, will hold its awards ceremony in Singapore this November, following previous events in London and Boston. The five winners of the prize will each be given a GBP1 million grant to help scale their environmental solutions. The event is expected to attract world leaders, businesses and investors. It will also feature performances by artists and musicians. The prize will have a total of S$1.5 million in funding from its founding partners: philanthropic organisation Temasek Trust, investment company Temasek, decarbonisation investment platform GenZero and Standard Chartered Bank. In addition, it is backed by other leading organisations in the field of environmental conservation and sustainability, including non-profit organisation Conservation International. The judging panel for this year’s prize includes a prominent figure from each of the partners. The winner will be announced in mid-November. For more information on the prize, visit its website. You can also follow its updates on Facebook and Instagram.