The Singapore Prize is a biennial literary award for the best published works by Singaporean authors. It recognises fiction, non-fiction and poetry in the four official languages of Singapore – Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil. The 2024 prize was the tenth edition and saw new categories introduced for Best Debut author, and comics and graphic novels have their own category. The Readers’ Favourite award based on public votes will not be given this year.
In the history category, the judging panel selected Emeritus Professor John Miksic of NUS’ Department of Southeast Asian Studies for his work Singapore: Where We Are, Where We’ve Been. The book examines fragments of historical evidence, including those from a 13th-century Chinese chronicle, that suggest Singapore’s existence. It also traces the nation’s evolution from a small trading post to a modern city-state.
Professor Miksic was congratulated by award chairman and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on winning the prize, saying it is “a well-deserved gong for your groundbreaking research into Singapore’s origins and its identity in Asia.” It also highlighted how the book is able to bridge the gap between the common perception of Singapore as a “small island” that is insular and disconnected from the rest of the region.
The NUS Singapore History Prize is a $50,000 award for the best book about the nation’s history. The winner will be announced in October 2024 after a five-member Jury Panel reviews the submissions by publishers. It will be chaired by Mr Mahbubani and includes Prof Wang Gungwu of NUS’ East Asian Institute; historian Prof John Miksic; Dr Peter A Coclanis of the Global Research Institute at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and economist Dr Lam San Ling. The Jury Panel will be assisted by a Nominating Committee of five members, drawn from academia, the civil service and the arts.
The Singapore Prize is one of the most prestigious and lucrative prizes in the world. It is often considered a benchmark for the quality of Singapore’s creative output and has attracted global attention for its achievements. The prize ceremony is a high-profile affair, with the award winners being celebrated by celebrity hosts and performers. For the 2024 prize, actor William Chan wore an old dark green suit from Alexander McQueen and walked a “green carpet”, while actress Mbatha Nzinga opted for a navy blue gown by sustainable fashion label Stella McCartney. The event was broadcast globally by media company MediaCorp. The bands One Republic and Bastille performed. The event was hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K Brown, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern served as the honorary patron of the event. In addition to the monetary prize, the winners received a trophy and a certificate of participation. They will also be invited to present a workshop to schools about their prize-winning artwork. This was in line with the prize’s focus on environmental and social responsibility. The monetary prize will be donated to the school of the winner’s choice.