The inaugural Singapore prize was awarded to an archaeologist who has shed light on how the country’s history has been written and reinterpreted. John Miksic’s book, The Origin of Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800 (2019, available here), is part of a fundamental reinterpretation of the island nation’s early days. The book explains how fragmented historical records such as literary references to Temasek, and artefacts like glass shards, pointed towards the island’s existence long before Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819.
The winner’s work “brings Singapore’s past to life, in a way that will make it more accessible and meaningful to the general public,” said a panel of judges comprising historians Meira Chand, Lam San Ling and Peter Coclanis, as well as novelist and former ambassador Jeremy Tiang. The jury also lauded the work for using maps, drawings and photographs to bring history alive. The book is a timely account of the tumultuous times when the young nation was struggling to establish its identity and find its place in the world.
Other books shortlisted include Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Glam (2019, available here) by Hidayah Amin, whose memoir shines a light on the rich cultural and culinary heritage of a neighbourhood many today know only as a tourist attraction. The non-fiction section of the prize also features works that have a personal slant, such as State Of Emergency (2017, available here) by New Yorker writer Jeremy Tiang, whose story follows his family’s lived experience during the leftist political movements and detentions in the 1950s.
In addition to the main prize, six other publications were shortlisted in the Consumer Choice category. The four winners – Ali bin Salim, Daryl Qilin Yam, Pan Zheng Lei and rmaa cureess — will each receive a cash prize of 1,000 Singapore dollars ($US719) as well as book-purchase vouchers worth 50 SGD each.
Lastly, the NUS History Department is exploring ways to expand the scope of the prize to other genres of writing. “There could be plans to include fictional works, movies and comics if they have clear historical themes,” said Professor Kishore Mahbubani, senior advisor (university and global relations) at NUS. He added that such a move may be made, particularly in light of how the award’s success has helped to raise awareness of Singapore’s history.
In the upcoming 2024 competition, the prize will be open to fiction and creative works of any medium that address any time period or field of Singaporean history. Interested parties can submit their works via the Singapore History Prize website. The deadline for submissions is May 30 this year. The winner will be announced in June. The winner will get a cash prize of S$50,000. The prize is supported by the Ministry of Education and Singapore Pools. It is the first of its kind to be devoted solely to Singaporean history. The prize was launched in 2014 in support of SG50 celebrations. The competition’s judging panel is chaired by NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow and historian Kishore Mahbubani, along with novelist Meira Chand, economist Lam San Ling, historian Peter Coclanis and archaeologist John Miksic.