The NUS Singapore History Prize [hereafter The Prize] is open to works that deal with any aspect of Singapore’s past. The Prize has been established by an anonymous gift and is administered by the Department of History of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore (NUS). It is open to creators of any nationality who have produced works in, or translated into one of the four official languages of Singapore. The finalists are publicly announced, and the winning book will be awarded a prize of $50,000 Singapore. Works shortlisted for the prize will also be publicised, and featured on the program website.

The prize has been a boon to local authors, many of whom have used it as an opportunity to boost their books sales and visibility. But it has also opened up new avenues for those who haven’t written books to explore their interests in Singapore history and culture.

In its first year of operation, the prize saw a total of five works being awarded, and a further two books making it to the final shortlist. Some of the winners are now looking at their future career plans, while others are already working on a follow-up to their winning titles.

One of the prize winners, archaeologist John Miksic, has just started work on a book on the ancient artifacts he has unearthed in Singapore. He says that his win is “a great honour” and has made him think of how to share what he has learned in the future.

Another winner, Professor Tharman Shanmugaratnam, is focusing on researching the effects of globalisation on migrant workers and their families in his upcoming book. He was impressed by the quality of the entries, saying that it had been an “incredible privilege” to be on the jury.

The Earthshot Prize is an initiative by Prince William that aims to protect and restore the planet by amplifying environmental solutions. Its third annual awards ceremony was held in Singapore this November, and William will spend his time there meeting with local organisations that are working to fight illegal wildlife trafficking.

He will also take part in a United for Wildlife summit, which will bring together law enforcement agencies and companies working to combat the trade in wild animals. During his stay in the city-state, he will also try out dragon boating and meet people from various industries to learn about how they are tackling climate change.

During the event, William and the other winners will walk down a green carpet to mark the importance of sustainability in their lives. To show his support for the cause, the British royal wore a 10-year-old dark green blazer from designer Alexander McQueen. This was a nod to the fact that the award ceremony is being hosted by state-owned Media Corp, which is committed to eco-friendly productions. The band One Republic and the singer Bastille performed for the event, which was attended by celebrities including actor Hannah Waddingham and director Yen Mbatha.