Established to commemorate Singapore’s 50th anniversary of independence, this prize honours publications that have had an important effect on understanding Singaporean history. Six books were shortlisted this year ranging from an examination of an iconic Indian poet’s life and times to histories about Malaysian migrants arriving in Singapore as well as histories related to Malay communities living here; additionally works explore wartime complexity, colonial governance issues, and financial sector development.

The winning book will receive a cash award of S$50,000, as well as being featured in the National Library Board’s collection, which houses Singapore history books in large volumes. To be eligible, books published between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2024 must meet certain criteria; authors or co-authors can write any aspect of Singaporean history that pertains to printed media such as books in English (not necessarily published by them); their author must either be a citizen of Singapore or permanent resident living here, with both formats acceptable; text books used to develop curricula are ineligible from winning this prize prize prize award. Textbooks or books used to develop curricula are not eligible;

Professor Kishore Mahbubani, senior advisor (university and global relations) at NUS, suggested expanding the prize to include films, comic books and other creative works with clear historical themes in future years. “Our aim is to ensure all citizens of Singapore possess an adequate knowledge of their own past,” he stated.

Christopher Bathurst KC, a barrister at Fountain Court Chambers and an esteemed advocate. Christopher was an active member of London’s Commercial Bar and enjoyed extensive practice across Southeast Asia – specifically Singapore where he advised both private clients and government agencies on arbitration issues. Notable cases where Christopher represented both clients were Caparo v Dickman [1990] 2 AC 605 and Ning Cai v The People’s Association (1979) 1 SLR 376

Prince William will visit Singapore as part of his Earthshot campaign to address pressing environmental challenges. While in Singapore, he will meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loon and visit The Istana palace – one of Singapore’s oldest heritage sites. Additionally, it marks the third annual awards ceremony for Earthshot Prize, an ambitious global initiative launched by Prince William to stimulate catalytic investments into environmental solutions and inspired by President John F Kennedy’s Moonshot speech of 1962 in which Americans were challenged to reach the moon before that decade ended.