The sgp prize is a biennial award that recognises Singapore-based publications in English (written or translated) that contribute significantly to the global understanding of Singapore’s history. The Prize is awarded by a jury comprising eminent Singaporean academics, writers, artists and figures from the culture sector. It is supported by the National Heritage Board and the National Library of Singapore.
The 2024 edition was presented by the UNESCO City of Memory Programme, and consists of an award of $70,000 dollars, a diploma and a medal. The winner was selected by a five-member Jury Panel consisting of Mr Mahbubani; Prof John Miksic, Chair of the Jury and Director, Centre for Liveable Cities; Prof Tan Tai Yong, President of NUS Department of History; Dr Peter A Coclanis, Executive Director, Global Research Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Prof Lam San Ling, Head, NUS Museum of Art and History.
Last night, the prestigious Singapore Literature Prize crowned its first female winner for English poetry and handed out a pair of double wins in Chinese and English fiction. Marylyn Tan, 27, snagged the English prize with her arcane debut collection, Gaze Back, which tackled taboo topics from menstruation to sexuality. The win made her the youngest-ever winner of the prize, and the only woman to be crowned in the prize’s 28-year history. The prize also saw its first-ever joint winners in the Chinese and English fiction categories, with Straits Times journalist Akshita Nanda’s debut novel Nimita’s Place and speculative short story collection Lion City sharing top honours, respectively. The prize also saw a trio of double merits: Shubigi Rao’s second volume on book destruction Pulp II, Sithuraj Ponraj’s Malay fiction It Is Easy To Be Italian and Wong Koi Tet’s re-imagining of the lost housing estate Dakota Crescent in the SG50-centric short story collection Black Panther.
Having debuted in London in 2022 and Boston in 2021, Prince William’s Earthshot Prize will be heading to Singapore this November for its third annual awards ceremony, and its first in Southeast Asia. The ceremony will see the winners receive a catalytic sum of PS1 million to scale their environmental solutions, and will be attended by a host of celebrities including actors Cate Blanchett, Donnie Yen, Lana Condor and Nomzamo Mbatha, as well as wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin.
The prize was founded by the Royal Foundation to shore up innovative solutions against the planet’s most pressing environmental perils, and to recognise those who are making it a better place to be. This year’s finalists include an Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and a global non-profit that helps to restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing. Xylem Inc has joined as the prize’s Global Sponsor, while Standard Chartered will be a Founding Partner. Both will bring their expertise and resources to support the work of the Prize’s 2023 winners.