The Singapore prize is a biennial award presented to Singapore writers for outstanding published works in English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil. Established in 1992, it has become Singapore’s top literary prize with more than 150 past winners. It is the country’s highest literary accolade with a total of $30,000 worth of prizes to be awarded across its three literary categories.

The main objective of the prize is to promote and recognise literary talent in Singapore. It is open to all Singapore citizens and permanent residents, who have written outstanding literary works in either of the four official languages. It awards authors in the genres of fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and comics/graphic novels. A translation category is also available for those who have translated works from any other language into English.

Winners will receive a cash prize of up to $3,000. Each shortlisted work gets $1,000. In addition, there will be two special awards that will be voted by the public: the Best New Talent and the Readers’ Choice Award.

A total of 30 books are shortlisted for this year’s prize, and they cover a wide range of themes. They include historical tomes, novels with a personal slant, and even memoirs about the experiences of ordinary people in Singapore. Some of the nominees may not be seasoned writers, but they have all touched a chord with readers by sharing their stories.

A maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and groups that work to make electric car batteries cleaner, restore Andean forests and deter illegal fishing were among the 15 winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize at a ceremony in Singapore. Britain’s Prince William, whose Royal Foundation charity launched the 10-year award program in 2020, attended the event and said the solutions showcased by all of the finalists show that hope does remain despite a host of daunting global environmental challenges. He also praised the initiative for “bringing together partners who are committed to scalable solutions that benefit nature and people.”