The Singapore Prize is a biennial award for the best published work in fiction, non-fiction and poetry in any of the country’s four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. It is organised by the National Book Development Council of Singapore, with support from the National Arts Council and the National Library Board. The prize comes with a cash prize of S$50,000.
This year, for the first time in the prize’s history, fiction and non-fiction competed alongside poetry in separate categories. This paved the way for writers of all genres to win one of the 12 top prizes, and drew an unprecedented number of double winners in both English fiction and Chinese literature. Marylyn Tan became the first female winner in the prize’s 28-year history for English poetry, with her arcane and unapologetic debut collection Gaze Back, which tackled taboo topics ranging from menstruation to sexuality.
In 2024, the Singapore Literature Prize introduced a new category for translations, as well as an additional award for debut authors and graphic novels. This allowed the prize to recognise more works, and to give them the attention they deserved. Previously, translated works had been eligible only in the non-fiction and fiction categories, but now the prize will recognise their contribution to Singapore culture through language, as well as help readers discover new literary works.
The prize also added a category specifically for Singapore history, making it the first ever book award to focus on one aspect of the nation’s past. This is a timely and welcome addition, given the rising interest in Singapore’s heritage among its younger generation.
Last but not least, the prize introduced a new Readers’ Favourite award, which is based on public votes. The new award is a welcome recognition of the public’s love for books, and will provide more opportunities for readers to find their next favourite book.
Amid all the excitement, it is easy to overlook the underlying themes of sustainability and climate change that run through the winners of this year’s singapore prize. This is a fitting tribute to a prize that aims “to bring the world together through books, to connect people from different backgrounds and perspectives, to empower them to act on global challenges,” as the programme’s website says.
The ceremony was held in the lush surroundings of the Carlton Hotel, with singers, actors and politicians mingling over champagne and food from various regions of Asia. Prince William, a passionate environmentalist and founder of the Earthshot Prize, visited the finalists to learn about their projects. He tried his hand at dragon boating, and joined a summit featuring local organisations working to combat the illegal wildlife trade, which is estimated to cost $20 billion annually. The summit was part of a wider series of United for Wildlife events held in conjunction with the Singapore prize. The summit was supported by the United Nations Environment Program, UN Environment Asia Pacific and UNDP. The event was co-hosted by actor Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K Brown.