The NUS Singapore Prize is awarded to a publication that makes a lasting impact on our understanding of Singapore’s history. The prize is open to authors whose works are on any aspect of Singapore’s past, as long as they address the theme in a book-length work. The prize was established in 2014, and is administered by the Department of History at NUS.
The award was conceived by NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani, who called for the prize in a 2014 column. It is a biennial accolade that carries a cash prize of $3,000 and a commissioned trophy. Submissions are welcomed from new and established writers in both Chinese and English, as well as those who have written a translation of an existing Singaporean book into another language.
This year’s shortlist includes more than half of the writers who are competing for the first time. Among the first-time contenders are Wang Gungwu in the English creative nonfiction category and Suratman Markasan in the Malay creative nonfiction category. Both nonagenarians are among the oldest writers on the shortlist, making them two of this year’s three longest-serving writers in the pool.
In the English literary fiction category, this year’s contest has the most ever entries – a total of 59 – from both established and emerging talents. The contest’s judges have selected nine finalists for this round, which will be announced at a ceremony in April.
Britain’s Prince William has touched down in Singapore for the third annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, the first to be held in Asia. The prince was joined by celebrities including Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, Donnie Yen and Lana Condor for the event that recognises solutions to climate change, ocean revival and waste elimination.
In his speech at the event, he said the winners demonstrated that “hope does remain despite our current challenges” and encouraged everyone to work together to make them happen. Other winners included a team from Oman that found a way to remove carbon dioxide from the air, and a business that aims to bring cleaner-burning stoves to women in Kenya.
This year, Singapore Sweep has changed the way it rewards its players. Instead of traditional pre-printed tickets, all players can now print their own at any of the Singapore Pools outlets nationwide. This will also allow for instant prize redemptions at the point of purchase. As a result, there’s now a one-in-eleven chance of winning the top prize, which has increased from $400,000 in 1969 to its present amount of $1 million per draw. Find out more about how you can win at this year’s event by visiting the official website.