Singapore Prize for Non-Fiction Literature
As part of Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations, NUS Department of History has unveiled an award to celebrate our nation’s rich heritage. The S$50k prize is open to non-fiction works that help define national identity or deepen understanding of our unique story – first suggested by NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani via Straits Times column in 2014.
Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam by historian and author Ms Hidayah was declared the inaugural winner. Her book was described both as an extensive synthesis and primary source, impressing a jury panel comprising Professor Miksic, novelist Meira Chand, economist Lam San Ling and historian Peter Coclanis.
Ms Hidayah stated she hoped the prize would serve as an affirmation to ordinary Singaporeans that their stories matter and should be told. “We want the public to realize they don’t need to be professional historians in order to write history books.” She suggested anyone living a significant portion of their lives here may write one.
The five-person judging panel comprises specialists in their respective fields who are knowledgeable of Singaporean history. Every three years, a prize will be awarded for a publication which has had a significant effect on people understanding of its past or on developing Singapore’s national identity.
Shelly Bryant divides her time between Shanghai and Singapore as a poet, writer, translator, editor, anthologist editor with Ilya Kaminsky’s editing anthologies of poetry with Singularity Press as well as translating fiction and poetry from Chinese for Penguin Books, Epigram Publishing in Singapore, HSRC and Giramondo Books; translating poetry with two collections published through Singularity Press as well.
Prince William of Britain joined actresses Cate Blanchett and Donnie Yen as well as South African actor Nomzano Mbatha to walk the “green carpet” at Tuesday’s third Earthshot Awards Ceremony in Singapore. As trustee of an environmental charity, William said the solutions presented by winners in five categories (nature protection, clean air pollution control, ocean revival, waste elimination and climate change) showed there is still hope in meeting climate change head on. To do so he donned an old Alexander McQueen outfit complete with sustainable dark green jacket.