For the first time, this year’s singapore prize ceremony included a special category for translation. This reflects the fact that, while Singapore has many excellent local writers, there are few translations of their work, especially into English. The new translation award is a welcome initiative, and it will encourage more translations of Singapore literature. It is a small step to make our local literary scene more global and diverse, and it is a good way to promote the work of Singapore writers to overseas readers.
In addition to the main prize categories, the festival also has a series of sub-categories for authors from different regions and genres, as well as a special award for young people’s books. Each of these awards will be given away during the festival’s closing ceremony. The winning authors will be awarded a trophy, cash prizes and a chance to be interviewed onstage by renowned local authors and illustrators.
An Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that work to make electric car batteries cleaner, restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing were among the winners at the third Earthshot Prize awards in Singapore on Tuesday. Britain’s Prince William, whose Royal Foundation charity launched the 10-year award program in 2020, was present to award the winners at the event.
He wore a dark green Alexander McQueen suit with white buttons and a striped tie at the glitzy ceremony at Singapore’s MediaCorp theater. Other presenters, such as actors Cate Blanchett and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Emmy award-winning actor Sterling K. Brown, also wore suits made from recycled materials. The event’s sustainability theme was reflected in the use of a green carpet.
The NUS Singapore History Prize was established in 2014 to honour the Republic’s past and encourage wider discussion of its place in the world. Its judges, led by historian Prof Kuan-hua Loo and including Tamil writer rma cureess, aimed to broaden definitions of what constitutes history and promote writing that explores multiple perspectives and themes.
The winner of this year’s prize, which comes with a S$50,000 cash award and a citation, was the book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, by archaeologist John Miksic. The jury said the book “provides the foundation for a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s history and its place in Asia.” It drew on evidence from historical records, such as the mention of places like Temasek and Longyamen (Dragon Teeth’s Gate) in ancient Chinese texts. It also incorporated discoveries from Miksic’s excavations of sites in Singapore and Malaysia. The jury said it had made a significant contribution to the field of Southeast Asian studies. It was a “deserving winner” of the prize, they said. – By Yvette Choo for The Straits Times.