The Singapore Prize is a biennial book award that honours outstanding works of literature published in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. The award is organised by the National Book Development Council of Singapore. The Prize carries a monetary value of S$10,000. It is aimed at promoting Singapore literature and fostering reading habits among Singaporeans. Previous winners have included bestselling authors such as Cyril Wong, Akshita Nanda and Jeremy Lee.
The prize was named in honour of Christopher Bathurst KC, who was a leading member of Fountain Court Chambers and had a wide-ranging practice as a commercial barrister with a particular focus on Southeast Asia. He was a generous and supportive friend of the literary community in Singapore and this prize is to recognise his contribution to Singapore literature.
Winners of the 2024 edition were announced on Thursday at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Violinists Dmytro Udovychenko and Anna Agafia Egholm, as well as cellist Angela Sin Ying Chan won USD $110,000 worth of prizes including multiple concert engagements. They also received a special citation and a medal each.
Professor Kishore Mahbubani, senior advisor (university and global relations) at NUS, explained that the prize could possibly be extended to include other genres like movies and comic books. He said that the judging criteria emphasized impact, scalability and transformational changes to people’s lives.
In addition, the judges were also looking for an outstanding piece of work that showcases the richness and diversity of Singapore’s cultural heritage. The citation for Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam describes the book as an elegantly-crafted and meticulously-researched account that is both a synthesis of history and primary source. The book was authored by historians Professor John Miksic of NUS Department of History and Ms Hidayah Sultan Al-Jiboori of the Singapore Museum.
The Singapore Book Prize is one of the top three awards for book publishing in the world, alongside the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal. It is presented by the National Book Council of Singapore and administered by the Singapore Press Holdings.
This year, the judges were particularly impressed by Home Is Where We Are by Jeremy Lee, which chronicles the legacy of a Singapore-Chinese couple that built one of Asia’s most successful lotteries. It is a compelling story about how we should be defined not by what we have but by our values, commitment and integrity.
The President’s Science and Technology Awards is a national awards scheme in Singapore, formerly known as the National Science and Technology Awards, which was elevated to Presidential status in 2009. It aims to recognise scientists who have contributed to society through their research efforts, and encourage more Singaporeans to become science enthusiasts. Voting forms for the awards are available at all Singapore Pools outlets, and a one-in-eleven chance of winning is offered to all Singapore Pools players.