The Singapore Prize 2024
– The Singapore Prize is an award presented by the government of Singapore that recognizes exceptional public service achievements by individuals or organisations. It was named for Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, and in addition to receiving a monetary prize, winners also receive a medallion commemorating this achievement.
This award, administered by the National University of Singapore’s department of history and first bestowed in 2024 to professor Emeritus Peter Ellinger for his memoir Down Memory Lane (2023). Professor Miksic expressed his sincerest thanks for being awarded this inaugural prize, established in 2014 to honour and celebrate Singaporean history while honouring publications that have had an enduring effect on understanding our nation.
This year’s shortlist included both academic work and novels with personal touches, such as Kamaladevi Aravindan’s Sembawang (2020; available here), which chronicles life on an estate over decades. Instead of treating history simply as a list of noteworthy figures, this novel places greater focus on what events mean to everyday people than traditional views do.
Richard Wiley’s The Future of Food and Sustainability in Asia provides an in-depth exploration of how technology is revolutionising South East Asian food industries, while looking at whether Asian companies can use innovation to address challenges in global food markets. Author Shubigi Rao was awarded the Singapore Food History Prize 2024 with Pulp III: An Intimate Inventory Of Banned Books (2022). Finally, NUS Professor Emeritus Peter Ellinger won the Singapore Literature Prize with Down Memory Lane: His Memoirs (2023).
This year’s Prize will be hosted in partnership with Conservation International (CI), who will bring their global network and extensive experience promoting and funding nature-based solutions that address climate change. CI will aid TEP finalists by connecting them with partners committed to developing sustainable, scalable solutions for people and the planet. In Southeast Asia, our expertise in biodiversity programs and sustainable financing will also be utilized. In November we’ll gather for Earthshot Week to build relationships with TEP finalists while building momentum behind innovations that accelerate our ability to heal our planet faster. See you there!