The Singapore Prize is a biennial literary award in Singapore to recognise published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. It is a competition organised by the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) with the support of the National Arts Council and the National Library Board.
This year’s winners are drawn from 43 writers in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. They are awarded cash prizes and commissioned trophies.
First prize goes to John Miksic for his history book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800. The book tells the story of how Singapore grew to be one of the most important ports on the Silk Road, during an era when Asia’s economies were booming.
Second prize is given to Anitha Devi Pillai for her novel Sembawang, which traces the life of a Tamil-speaking family during a time of social upheaval in Singapore. Dr Anitha, who is a senior lecturer at the National Institute of Education, helped her mother Kamaladevi research and translate the novel from Tamil.
Third prize is going to Clara Chow, who has written two novels and three books of poetry in her writing career. She has been shortlisted for both fiction and creative nonfiction categories in the program’s 20-year history.
Fourth prize is for Jee Leong Koh for Snow At 5pm: Translations of An Insignificant Japanese Poet. She has been shortlisted in both the Chinese and English poetry categories of the Singapore Prize.
Fifth prize is for Pooja Nansi, who has written a number of works that focus on the nature and culture of Singapore. She has also been shortlisted for her poetry collections We Make Spaces Divine and One To The Dark Tower Comes.
Sixth prize is for Feng Tianwei, who has dominated table tennis and won a total of 13 Commonwealth Games medals during her career. She is a Singaporean who represented her country at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and won three gold medals.
Seventh prize is for Joanne Chua, who is a Singaporean who has won numerous accolades and awards for her work in photography. She has also won a number of art grants and scholarships.
Eighth prize is for Feng Tianwei, and she has won a number of accolades and awards for her work in table tennis. She has also won a number of award ceremonies.
Nineteenth prize is for Jeremy Tiang, who is a Singaporean who has been a member of the Australian cricket team since 2007. He has won a number of accolades and prizes for his work in golf. He has also won a number of golf tournaments and events.
Twelfth prize is for Feng Tianwei, the Singaporean who has won a number of accolades and Awards for her work in Table Tennis. She has won a number of events and tournaments.
The winner of the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize will be announced in October. The winner will be selected by a jury that includes academic Khoo Gaik Cheng and filmmaker Lucky Kuswandi.