A new award honours the scholarly work of Singapore’s historians and encourages non-fiction writers to consider writing about the nation’s past. The S$50,000 prize is administered by the National University of Singapore’s Department of History, and it will be given out every three years.
The inaugural prize, introduced in 2014 as part of the SG50 program to mark Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence, was awarded this year to archaeologist John Miksic for his book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800. It drew upon literary records to suggest that Singapore existed in the 13th century, when Chinese trader Wang Dayuan wrote of places like Temasek and Longyamen.
Prof Mahbubani, who chairs the prize committee, had penned a Straits Times opinion column in April 2014 calling on Singapore’s philanthropists to donate money for a cash prize for the best book on the city-state’s history. A few months later, an anonymous Singapore citizen donated S$500,000 to the prize. NUS will manage the donation, which will be placed in an endowment fund that earns income for the prize.
“The goal is to stimulate engagement with the history of Singapore in a wide variety of ways, including making it more accessible, and to help Singaporeans understand our rich heritage,” said a press release from NUS. The prize is also meant to address what NUS historian Claire Chiang called the “missing pieces” of Singapore’s history, which are not widely known about by the public.
A total of 49 works were shortlisted this year, 32 fewer than last year’s 224 submissions. Among the shortlisted authors, Clara Chow was the first writer in the prize’s 30 years to be shortlisted in two categories (English fiction and English creative nonfiction) and in both languages (Singaporean and Mandarin). Her Tamil-language novel Sembawang, which explores the lives of a family of Indian immigrants, is about how historical events affect ordinary people.
The winners will be announced on Feb 11, the same day that traditional pre-printed tickets are replaced with on-demand print options at all Singapore Pools outlets. A spokesman for the company said there is a one-in-eleven chance of winning a prize in the Group 1 category.
The award ceremony will be held at the Substation Theatre and feature performances by the bands One Republic and Bastille, as well as Singaporean actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K Brown. Prince William, who is a trustee of the Earthshot Prize and hosts a summit for winners aimed at tackling climate change, will attend, along with other celebrities and politicians. He will spotlight the prize’s finalists and their innovation projects at various events in the four-day trip to Singapore, which includes visiting the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and largest glass greenhouse. During the event, he will wear a 10-year-old green suit by Alexander McQueen and walk a “green carpet.” The event’s theme is sustainability.
