The Singapore Prize recognises cities that are making strides forward and serves as a resource of ideas, solutions and stories to learn from. This year seven Laureate Cities and 22 Special Mentions were selected for their commitment to innovation and delivering positive outcomes for their citizens.
A distinguished Jury Panel led by NUS Chancellor Kishore Mahbubani selected the winning entries of the Singapore Prize 2024, to be announced towards the end of October. They included Foo Hai Fellow in Buddhist Studies Associate Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia from the NUS Department of History; senior curator Dr Seng Yu Jin from National Gallery Singapore; playwright and educator Ms Angeline Yeo as well as historian Prof Miksic who hails from NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies.
Prof Miksic spent 14 years to complete his book and this award marks an increase in recognition for his research of archeological finds in Singapore that show how ancient cultures interacted. His work goes beyond traditional histories that focus on major figures; instead, it emphasizes everyday aspects of people’s lives through his book.
The focus on everyday people that is the hallmark of this year’s shortlist of six works for the triennial award stands out strongly in this year’s shortlist, along with historical tomes with more of a personal edge, such as Kamaladevi Aravindan’s novel Sembawang (2020, available here), which chronicles life on an estate in Singapore over five decades, or Wang Gungwu, Khir Johari and Peter Borschberg’s Seven Hundred Years: A History Of Singapore by NUS historians Wang Gungwu Khir Johari and Peter Borschberg (2020, available here).
Other shortlisted books include historian Tan Tai Yong’s The Land That Time Forgot: Rethinking Singapore’s Past; academic and historian Wong Koi Tet’s The Secret History Of Chinatown and Malay-language writer Suratman Markasan’s The Land That Time Forgot: The Story Of Malaysians In S’pore. Since 2024, an additional translation category was introduced that includes works translated from other languages into English as well.
Kishore Mahbubani, director of NUS’ university and global relations office, suggested the prize could expand its submission criteria in future to accommodate films, comics and other forms of fiction submissions. He suggested that the prize could include a special category for translations of Singapore history, part of an effort to make its past more accessible to Singapore’s residents. “12 Years A Slave” serves as an illustration that other mediums may be more effective for telling Singapore’s history than movies alone. The prize was first launched as part of Singapore’s 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations and has become its oldest literary award ever given annually since. This year’s awards ceremony took place on 24 September at National Museum of Singapore with live coverage available through SBC website and YouTube channel.
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