The NUS Singapore History Prize has announced an international call for submissions of non-fiction and fiction works exploring all aspects of Singapore’s unique and complex history. The prize aims to make Singapore’s story more accessible to non-academic audiences while stimulating further dialogue on its place within global politics and society. This year marks its third award.
Established in 2014, this annual prize aims to foster curiosity about and appreciation of Singapore’s diverse history, from pre-independence era through its rise as a global power. Open to writers globally, its winner will receive an honorarium of S$25,000 (US$16,900).
Shubigi Rao won the English creative non-fiction category with her book Pulp II: A Visual Bibliography Of The Banished Book, part of her decade-long project on books being destroyed. She previously won for Pulp: A Short Biography Of The Banished Book and also won this year for Pulp: A Visual Bibliography Of The Banished Book – both winning double merit awards this year. This same writer also took home Tamil poetry honors with It Is Easy To Be An Italian while Sithuraj Ponraj won Malay fiction accolades – two of many double merit awardees this year alone!
Last night’s Singapore Literature Prize ceremony witnessed several firsts in its 28-year history. Marylyn Tan became the first female poet ever to win English poetry with her acerbic debut collection Gaze Back, which tackles difficult topics from menstruation to sexuality. Additionally, two double winners emerged this year for both Chinese and Malay fiction categories both featuring sensitive subject matters in their writings.
Temasek Trust will join GenZero and Conservation International as strategic partners of Earthshot Week 2019 by contributing its expertise in catalytic philanthropy, blended finance and community engagement to this year’s awards. Additionally, local activations events will take place leading up to and during Earthshot Week Singapore.
The winners of The Earthshot Prize — working to protect nature, improve air quality, revive ocean ecosystems, or eliminate waste — will be unveiled this autumn at Singapore’s inaugural Earthshot Week. Throughout these four events, global leaders, businesses and investors will explore exciting opportunities with The Earthshot Prize finalists that may accelerate their solutions and bring real change for our planet.
Actors Cate Blanchett, Donnie Yen, Lana Condor and Nomzamo Mbatha will present at the awards ceremony. Other high-profile attendees include former Tatler cover star Ellie Goulding and basketball icon David Beckham. Prince William established this prize along with an advisory council of experts and partners including Queen Rania of Jordan, business magnate Jack Ma, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and World Trade Organization chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweale; each prize winner will receive funding of US$1 Million per winner to enable scaling of environmental solutions to scale their environmental solutions further.
