The NUS Singapore History Prize is a biennial award given to books that make a “lasting impact on the understanding of Singapore’s history.” The prize is administered by the Department of History at the National University of Singapore. It is open to authors of any nationality whose works have a substantial aspect of Singaporean history in their overall content. The prize is worth $50,000.
The 2022 winner, Prof Miksic’s book, explores “the question of where and when Singapore began.” His research has revealed bits of historical information from literary records that suggested the island existed before 1819. The professor also pointed out that there was a need for a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s place in the Asian region.
Prof Miksic said he was pleased to receive the NUS Singapore History Prize, which he described as an important recognition of his “fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s long and complex history.” He added that his work would be a “focal point of discussions on the future of Asia.”
NUS historian Kishore Mahbubani said there were plans to expand the types of works that could qualify for the prize. He cited the movie 12 Years A Slave as an example, saying that sometimes history is better told through fiction, movies or other formats. He also added that the prize was not meant to be a competition among publishers, but rather a way to get people interested in Singapore’s past.
In addition to the NUS Singapore History Prize, there are other prizes that honor writers in the country. The Singapore Literature Prize, for instance, awards 12 winners in the state’s four languages – Chinese, English, and Malay. This year, five writers were shortlisted in two or more categories. The first time in the program’s history that this has happened.
One of the writers, Clara Chow, was nominated in the English fiction and English creative nonfiction categories as well as the Chinese poetry category. She became the first writer in the program’s history to have her works shortlisted in two categories in two different languages.
Cate Blanchett wore her hair in a loose, low bun and accessorized with a geometric gold pair of earrings. Her makeup was minimal, and she kept the rest of her outfit simple to let her earrings take center stage. The actor looked relaxed as she chatted with the Prince of Wales, who wished her luck in winning the prize. The heir to the British throne is visiting Singapore as part of his Earthshot Prize, which he and his Royal Foundation charity launched in 2020 to promote innovative technologies and solutions to global warming. The trip will see him meet local citizens to learn about how organizations are working to protect and restore the planet, Kensington Palace said. He will also attend a United for Wildlife summit, featuring representatives of law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations that work to combat trade in illegal wildlife products, estimated at $20 billion annually.