When the winners of the singapore prize are announced, it will be the culmination of a long journey. The process of choosing the winner is a very difficult one, as there are many factors that go into the selection. Ultimately, the prize winner will be someone who has gone above and beyond to help others. Whether that be through their service to the community or by using their talents to raise the bar for everyone.
In the case of this year’s HOFS Award 2023, it was awarded to Muhammad Dinie from ITE College Central, who helped lead an appreciation project for Town Council cleaners during the Covid-19 pandemic. His team went around the Ang Mo Kio estate to hand out packed food and groceries, as well as thank you cards. They received a citation and a medallion.
It’s the 30th anniversary of the Singapore Literature Prize, and this year, there are 49 entries on the shortlist. Organizers have chosen the theme of resonance as a way to highlight how writing can trigger emotions and memories. The winners will receive a cash prize of $20,000, a commissioned trophy and a public reading session.
The pool of submissions for the prize is smaller this year, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But the judges say there is still strong work from local writers. The winners of the top three prizes will be announced at a gala ceremony later this month. The awards are presented by the National Arts Council of Singapore, the Cultural Medallion Foundation and Singapore Media Academy.
Another new award, the Singapore History Prize, was established in 2014 in honour of the SG50 programme to celebrate the country’s 50th birthday. The prize is administered by the Department of History at NUS and is the first to recognise works focusing on Singapore’s history. This year, the prize has been won by Prof Miksic for his book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea.
In his book, he recounts how the artefacts found in the ancient port of Singapore were transported across the oceans to become valuable commodities. He also highlights how the sultanate of Malacca, then known as Tanah Rata, played an important role in Singapore’s history.
Prof Miksic was invited to conduct test excavations at Fort Canning in 1984, and he began to write his book about the site in 2003. The book is published by NUS Press, and it’s available at Kinokuniya bookstores and on the NUS Press website. Mr Kishore Mahbubani, senior advisor (university and global affairs) at NUS, said there might be plans to expand the type of works that could qualify for the prize. Taking the movie 12 Years a Slave as an example, he said history can sometimes be better told through fiction and other mediums.