One book which explores Singaporeans over 50 decades has made the shortlist for the inaugural Singapore Prize competition hosted by National University of Singapore (NUS). Open to works that have an historical theme published in English, Chinese or Malay; its organizers hope that more books than ever before enter in 2021 when awards will be handed out.

Kishore Mahbubani of NUS Asia Research Institute initiated and championed the NUS Singapore History Prize to honour publications that make a substantial impact on our understanding of Singapore history. Open to both fiction and non-fiction works with a total prize fund of $50,000; winners will be announced in August. A shortlist has already been released featuring both non-fiction titles as well as fiction ones – Kamaladevi Aravindan’s Sembawang examines life among everyday citizens across 50 years in Singapore.

NUS also hosts the Earthshot Prize, an international award designed to reward innovators and entrepreneurs committed to making our planet better. Backed by GBP 1 million (SGD 1.7 million), this funding acts as a “propelller,” helping winners to quickly market solutions that have visible impacts on Earth.

The prize’s judging panel comprises experts in multiple disciplines, spanning architecture and technology to finance and sustainability. Recent recipients of this honor have included decarbonisation investment platforms, businesses that produce reliable stoves from scrap metal, and organizations providing training services for people living with autism spectrum disorders.

Singapore was selected as the recipient of this prize due to its demonstrated leadership in innovation, investments and urban planning as well as commitment from both government and community to leading green growth, according to Ms Jones. She added that this prize aims to encourage thought leadership between cities on “key areas of urban sustainability”.

This year’s prize attracted over 200 applications from all around the globe, with three finalists selected by an expert panel from various industries. Neo4j won in the Innovative Graph Data Platforms 2022 category; other finalists were Ampd Energy which produces solar panels specifically targeted towards remote areas as well as New York-based nonprofit Conservation International.

As well as the main prizes, there are also reader-voted awards in the consumer choice category. Voting ends March 31 and you can view a comprehensive list of shortlisted works and authors in terms of genre and language here.