A new prize has been launched in Singapore for works that explore the country’s history. The NUS Singapore History Prize, administered by the Department of History at NUS, aims to promote research into Singapore’s past in non-fiction and fiction genres. The prize comes with a monetary reward and will be given out every three years. The prize is supported by the Singapore Book Council and DBS.
The first winner of the award will receive a monetary prize worth SGD $50,000. He or she will also get a number of other benefits, including two-plus seasons of Tour event exemptions and berths to key events. The winner will be selected by a jury panel, comprising Prof Mahbubani and Professor Miksic. In addition, a five-member nominating committee will be established to assist the judges.
NUS Singapore History Prize is open to works published between January 2017 and November 2020, both in English and Chinese. The work must have a significant Singapore element in its narrative and be available for sale or distribution. The winning work will be chosen by a jury panel of five members, comprising of scholars from the Department of History and external experts in the field. The prize is supported by a number of organisations, including the philanthropic organisation Temasek Trust, investment company Temasek, decarbonisation investment platform GenZero and non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International.
The NUS Singapore Prize is a triennial literary award to recognise publications that make a profound impact on the study of Singapore’s history. It is administered by the NUS Department of History and backed by a S$350,000 endowment from the Singapore Book Council. The inaugural prize was awarded in 2014 in support of the nation’s SG50 celebrations.
This year, the prize will be accompanied by a week-long series of events called Earthshot Week, which will bring together global leaders, businesses and investors to discuss ways to accelerate their climate solutions. The event will take place in Singapore and is being supported by a number of organisations, including philanthropic organisation Temasek, investments company Temasek, and environmental organisations Conservation International and GenZero.
The winners will be presented with their awards at a ceremony in the capital city on 6 December. This will be followed by a series of events that will bring together the winners and finalists to share their ideas, networks and innovations with the rest of the world. This will help to speed up the time it takes for these climate solutions to be implemented on a larger scale. In addition to the prizes, the winners will receive a package of support from Vogue and BMW, which includes media coverage and introductions to potential investors. These will be aimed at helping them to further develop their business. In addition, they will have access to mentoring from the Vogue and BMW Innovation teams. They will also be able to attend a masterclass led by the two brands. This will give them a head start in their journey towards becoming industry pioneers.