The National University of Singapore’s Department of History administers the first book prize dedicated solely to Singapore history since 2014. This year, 43 submissions were received for the inaugural award. The winner was Vincent Tong’s biography of one of Singapore’s most dangerous gangsters – Sam Hua. It was selected by a four-member jury led by NUS East Asian Institute Chairman Wang Gungwu.
Several of this year’s Singapore prize winners will be bringing their books to the public to share their stories with a wider audience. One of them is rma cureess (Rama Suresh), whose memoir chronicles his life as an autistic teen with a rare genetic disorder. Another is the nonfiction title Sembawang, which explores the complex relationship between humans and animals in colonial Singapore. The 2024 competition will open in January, and historians and those interested in local history are invited to submit non-fiction books on any aspect of Singapore’s past. A five-member panel will select a winner in three years’ time.
The winners of the Earthshot Prize 2023 were announced on Tuesday during a glitzy ceremony at the Theatre in Mediacorp. Prince William, who launched the award in 2020 through his charity, said the solutions presented by the 15 finalists showed “hope does remain” as climate change continues to worsen.
Some of the winners – such as the Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, the soil carbon marketplace and global non-profit WildAid Marine Program – will receive prizes of up to $1.5 million. Others will receive cash prizes up to $100,000 or be able to secure investments from other businesses and investors.
The winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included science and tech experts, as well as historians, arts and literary figures and teachers. The winning books will be published in the next few months, and their authors will receive a book grant worth $50,000. Besides the monetary awards, some of the finalists will be bringing their books to the public for readings and workshops.
Winners can claim their prizes from Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm at the Singapore Pools main branch. Those who have won E-Tickets will be required to bring their mobile app account details and original photo identification document (NRIC for Singaporeans/PR or passport for foreigners) to make their claims.
The Singapore Sweep lottery game was introduced in 1969 to raise funds for the construction of Singapore’s first National Stadium. Each ticket cost $1 then, and the game contributed a total of $14.5 million to the construction costs over the course of a few years. The game was relaunched in 1998 with a new prize structure and has remained popular until today. There is a one-in-eleven chance of winning in every draw. Ticket-holders can check their results online at the Singapore Pools website or use the mobile phone app. They can also visit any Singapore Pools outlet for further assistance. A free prize calculator has been provided to help players determine the chances of winning.