The Singapore Prize 2023 Shortlist
The singapore prize is a biennial award for published works in the arts, including literature and non-fiction in Chinese, English, Malay, or Tamil. It is administered by the National Book Development Council of Singapore, in partnership with the Singapore Press Holdings and the National Arts Council.
The prize is awarded to writers whose work has been critically acclaimed by the judges, and to a publication which has contributed significantly to the quality of literary culture in Singapore. The winner receives a cash prize of S$10,000 and will be honoured at the Singapore Literature Prize ceremony, which is held in June.
It has been described as the Singapore version of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and it recognises a work of fiction which is judged to be the best in its genre. The shortlist in 2023 included Catskull by Myle Yan Tay and Dearest Intimate by Cultural Medallion recipient Suchen Christine Lim.
In the category of Non-Fiction, the shortlist includes Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Gelam by Hidayah Amin and A History of Wild Rice by Alfian Sa’at. These authors explore the rich heritage of their respective neighbourhoods, giving a new perspective on the past.
A History of Wild Rice is an important account of the company’s legacy and its influence on society, while Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Gelam explores a lesser-known aspect of the city’s history, namely how the area’s residents were forced to relocate. This is a timely reminder of the importance of understanding our past, and why the NUS Singapore History Prize was established in the first place.
Those who wish to submit their work for consideration can do so until May 31 this year. Submissions can be either fiction or non-fiction, and they must have clear historical themes about Singapore. The winning work will be selected by a panel of five judges.
The awards ceremony will be hosted by Emmy Award winner Hannah Waddingham and feature performances from global artists including Bastille, OneRepublic and Bebe Rexha. The awards are supported by Temasek Trust, investment platform GenZero and Conservation International.
Temasek Trust’s CEO Desmond Kuek said the organisation is proud to be a partner of the Earthshot Prize, adding that it hopes to “drive action and inspire others in the ecosystem”.
In addition to the main prizes, the finalists will also compete for a Readers’ Choice award. This is a popular category that allows readers to vote for their favourite shortlisted work and win book-purchase vouchers worth S$1,000 each. This round saw a record number of consumer votes – more than 4,000, nearly double the previous year’s tally. The winners were Ali bin Salim, Daryl Qilin Yam, Pan Zheng Lei and rma cureess. To find out more about the shortlisted works and their authors, you can visit the website here.