The annual Singapore prize is awarded in 12 categories to celebrate the best published works in each of Singapore’s four official languages – Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The prize also recognises translated works that have been published in Singapore and are written in a foreign language. It is one of the many awards and accolades given by Singapore to encourage a vibrant literary culture.
The 2023 winners will receive a grant of $100,000, and access to mentors, potential funders and coaching sessions. They will also have the opportunity to explore local activations centered on their solutions, to connect with other members of the public and gain new customers and support for their work. This year, for the first time, the awards ceremony will be accompanied by a week-long series of events, called Earthshot Week, which is aimed at accelerating the winners’ solutions and bringing about tangible action to repair the planet.
This year’s award will be given to a project that seeks to alleviate poverty by addressing social and economic issues affecting the marginalized. The winner will be able to demonstrate innovative, breakthrough solutions that can bring about significant and lasting impacts on the lives of Singaporeans living in poverty. The project will be selected by a panel of judges, including representatives from NGOs and other community organisations, business leaders, academics and the government.
In addition to the prize money, the winner will receive 16.5 OWGR points, a two-plus season exemption on the Tour and berths in key events. The winners of the other three main prizes will each receive 16.5 OWGR points, as well as a standard Tour event-winning benefits package which includes travel expenses, accommodation and other amenities.
Selvam Arumugam, a migrant worker from Pollisum Engineering, was one of the lucky winners of this year’s singapore prize. The 42-year-old, who has a wife and three teenaged children, came to Singapore in 2007 to work as a rigger and signalman at the heavy vehicle leasing firm. He said that he had never played the game before, and was thrilled to win the top prize.
This year, more than half of the shortlisted entries were writers who are making their debuts at the biennial Togel singapore Prize. The oldest winners, Suratman Markesan and Wang Gungwu, both 91, are writing in creative nonfiction, while Jee Leong Koh is the youngest winner at 33 with Snow At 5pm: Translations Of An Insignificant Japanese Poet. This year’s Singapore Literature Prize was presented by the National Book Council and the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). The prize was established in 1992 in memory of Christopher Bathurst KC, a senior member of Fountain Court Chambers who was a leading commercial Bar practitioner in London and developed a substantial practice in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore. The prize is administered by SPH’s Legal Affairs and Compliance division. The winning entry will be announced at a ceremony in November. Read more about the prize and how to enter here.