The winner of this year’s Singapore prize will earn 16.5 OWGR points, which will qualify them for two-plus season exemptions on the Tour and berths in key events. The runner-up will receive 9.0 OWGR points and the third place finisher will take home 8.5 OWGR points. “This is a great prize and we want to see more people take advantage of it,” said tournament director Catriona Matthews.
This prize is awarded annually to a book on a subject that contributes significantly to Singapore’s national interests, culture or social development. It is the richest book prize in the country. A work can be fiction or non-fiction and must have a strong connection to Singapore. The prize is supported by the Ministry of Education and the National Library of Singapore.
A work must be published between 2021 and 2023 to be eligible for the Singapore prize. A panel of judges will assess the books based on various criteria, such as quality, relevance and public appeal. The judges also take into account the book’s contribution to scholarship on a subject. The authors of the winning book will receive a cheque worth S$30,000.
Four works made the final shortlist – on the history of the sarong kebaya, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Bukit Ho Swee fire and Singapore history from 1965 to 2015. The prize was launched in April by the National University of Singapore’s Department of History. It is named after Confucian scholar Alan Chan and aims to promote the writing of books that champion mindsets and values important to Singapore. They include equality, diversity and religious harmony, meritocracy, pragmatism and resilience.
The winners of the inaugural prize will be announced at a ceremony and series of engagements called Earthshot Week in October. The event is hosted by the Singapore Prize’s strategic partners – Temasek Trust, investment company Temasek, decarbonisation investment platform GenZero and non-profit environmental organisation Conservation International. These partners bring their expertise, resources and networks to the event and to support the work of the Earthshot Prize Finalists.
In addition to the award show, the week-long event will feature panel discussions, workshops and field trips. The goal is to bring together investors, venture capitalists, philanthropists and corporations to look at how to accelerate the time needed for these solutions to scale up. They will also look at how to overcome the challenges that exist in doing so.
The 2023 Finalists’ stories exemplify how the seemingly impossible can be achieved through ingenuity, optimism and inspiration. As a global hub for business and innovation, Singapore provides the perfect setting to host this event. SUSS is proud to be the lead partner for the event in Singapore. Other partners include The Earthshot Prize’s Founding Partners: Standard Chartered, Temasek Trust and GenZero. They will provide catalytic support in building the Prize’s impact and reaching new audiences worldwide. More details on the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony and events in Singapore will be released soon.