Singapore Prize Winners
The Singapore prize is a cash award given to authors who have written books on the history of Singapore. The prize was first established in 2014 by a private donation from a public figure, and was later expanded by an anonymous donor to give out up to three prizes per year. The prize was also increased in value from the previous $200,000 to $2 million. In addition to the cash prize, winners may be able to claim tax rebates. There are a number of other rules that must be met for winners to qualify.
The prestigious prize was set up to encourage the development of Singapore’s national identity and to promote a greater understanding of the nation’s past. The winner is chosen by a distinguished Jury Panel which is chaired by former Singapore diplomat Kishore Mahbubani. The panel is made up of academics from the NUS Department of History, and members of society including arts and literary figures, historians, museum curators, educators and history teachers and curriculum developers.
This year’s prize winner was Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Glam by Ms Hidayah. The work is a non-fiction book that takes the reader on a journey into the rich and diverse cultural and social history of Kampong Glam, a neighbourhood that many only know as a tourist attraction. The book is a synthesis of history, as well as a primary source thanks to Ms Hidayah’s personal inputs into the research.
Another highly acclaimed book, Khir Johari’s The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels through the Archipelago, has won numerous awards and accolades over the years. It was a favourite for the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, the “Oscars of the cookbook world”, and is the only Singapore book to win the triennial NUS Singapore History Prize.
It took 14 years from conception to publication for the tome, which weighs an impressive 3.2kg, to be completed. The book is a must-read for any foodie and is a worthy successor to the much-lauded Gourmand Award winner The Singapore Heritage Cookbook, published by Marshall Cavendish in 2021.
The book traces the origin of the Malays’ relationship with their land and sea and reveals how they developed their distinct cuisines, such as chicken rice, rendang and bak kut teh. The book was a triumph of scholarship, but also captured the spirit of Singapore’s diverse culinary and multi-cultural heritage.