In the busy world of international book and literary awards, Singapore’s prize jurors are handling one of the most complex competitions, with four categories across the nation’s four official languages. This year, the judges have shortlisted 71 works by 69 writers and creative associates in a total of 18 categories (including the two new ones for comics and translation).
In a nod to the nation’s multiculturalism, this year’s winner in the Non-Fiction category is Singaporeans Joachim Goh and John Sikkema’s The Art of Being Malaysian: An Exploration Through Recipes. “The book offers a unique insight into how the diverse cultures of Malaysia and Singapore have interacted through the culinary arts. It shows how food is a medium that transcends national and ethnic boundaries, and how it connects people from across the region and beyond,” says the judging panel.
The biennial NUS Singapore History Prize is regarded as one of the most prestigious in the country, and Khir Johari’s The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through the Archipelago took home the top prize, worth $50,000. The tome – which took 14 years from conception to publication, and weighs an impressive 3.2kg – beat five other books to claim the top prize. Two other titles – Reviving Qixi: Singapore’s Forgotten Seven Sisters Festival by Lynn Wong and Koh Keng We, and Theatres of Memory: Industrial Heritage of 20th Century Singapore by Alex Tan, Loh Kah Seng and John Sikkema – won special commendations.
Britain’s Prince William walked a green carpet alongside Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor, and Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin at the third annual Earthshot awards ceremony held in Singapore. The prince said solutions presented by the winning teams – which range from solar dryers to combat food waste to making electric car batteries cleaner – gave hope despite the devastating impacts of climate change felt globally.
Harvard Club of Singapore award winners Harrison Si Min and Muhammad Dinie shared their story with students at the Institute of Technical Education, College Central (ITE). The finalists are selected based on the judging panel’s assessment that they have shown great care for others through their work.
The annual awards programme is aimed at inspiring pre-tertiary students with the idea that Harvard is an attainable institution of higher learning, and to help them connect with the Harvard community in Singapore. The awards also recognise tertiary-level students who have done extraordinary things to serve their communities, and are inspired by the values of Harvard alumni – namely, a spirit of inquiry, pragmatism, humility and a strong sense of responsibility. Since 2012, the programme has recognised more than 1,800 caring individuals from Bahrain, Chester, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Isle of Man, Jersey, London, Malta, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Scotland and Singapore. Check out the complete list of recipients here.