In 2022, Singapore will launch its inaugural prize to recognize book-length works that significantly deepen our knowledge of Singapore history. Authored or co-authored books are eligible, covering any topic related to Singapore history provided they clearly illustrate its historical relevance for readers.
The winner will receive S$50k, in addition to receiving one of six S$25,000 awards that will go out amongst shortlisted authors or publishers. Furthermore, their books and their booksellers will be promoted at an event taking place in Singapore in November 2023.
Each winning author or publisher will also have the chance to host an outreach programme in their local communities that highlights both their works and historical significance, while emphasizing the significance of learning and sharing Singapore’s story.
This year’s prize saw a 30% increase from last year, with 224 entries total. There were two joint winners in English creative non-fiction: Straits Times journalist Akshita Nanda’s debut novel Nimita’s Place by Epigram Books and her collection of short stories Lion City by Epigram Books were both recognized.
Shubigi Rao won the English visual non-fiction prize with Pulp II: A Visual Bibliography of the Banished Book, her follow up to 2010’s Pulp: A Literary Anthology of the Book Destroyed. This was her second win in this category. In Chinese fiction, both Kian Kok by Chia Joo Ming and Black Panther by Wong Koi Tet were published by Mediacorp’s Ang Moh series; Tamil and Malay fiction prizes went to first-time writers such as former Cultural Medallion winner KTM Iqbal for his YA fantasy novel The Land of the Dead while Khir Johari won Malay fiction for her historical poetry collection It’s Easy To Be an Italian.
Prince William made this point when awarding the prizes. He noted that solutions proposed by 15 finalists show there is hope in climate change mitigation despite worsening conditions around the globe, adding that Earthshot Prize, with its total prize pool exceeding $1 Million, will assist winners and other finalists scale their initiatives and projects.
This inaugural Singapore Prize is made possible with support from Temasek Trust, Singapore Environment Council and carbon solutions platform GenZero. Together they will bring their expertise, resources and networks to ensure a successful series of engagements in Singapore leading up to, during, and following Earthshot Week’s awards ceremony. They will offer strategic guidance and convene diverse stakeholders from government, private sector, academia and civil society. They will support engagements through their global and regional network of businesses, philanthropy and impact investors and community engagement experts. Going forward they will also expand upon the prize’s global network and reach to support and complement core funders of the award.