Singapore Prize 2022 Winners Announced
Despite the economic slowdown, Singaporeans remain optimistic about the future. In a survey conducted by SPH Media, 84% of Singaporeans believe that the country will emerge from this difficult time in a stronger position. The survey also found that more people are willing to take risks to pursue their dream careers despite the economic uncertainties.
The 2022 biennial Singapore Prize – one of the country’s top literary awards – has announced its winners in 12 categories. The award honours writers in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil for their contributions to literature.
This year’s winners include novelist and short-story writer Tan Jee Wei, who won the English Language prize for her book, ‘When We Were Young’. The novel is a tale of two families, retold through the eyes of a child. The work is a testament to the “resilience of the human spirit” amid a “world of turbulence”, according to the organisers.
Professor Miksic’s book won the History prize because it lays the foundation for a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s place in the world and its history. It reopens the question of when and where Singapore began, and what the earliest written records reveal about it, says Prof Wang. The book also reveals the importance of a shared imagination, which Prof Mahbubani describes as the glue holding societies together.
Sonny Liew, who won the Graphic Novel prize for his work on the roots of modern Singaporean Malay cuisine, has achieved international renown. The graphic novel – which explores the tumultuous relationship between the founders of Malaysia and Singapore – won several Eisner awards, regarded as the Oscars of the comics industry. It was also named the Best International Comic at Denmark’s Pingprisen awards earlier this year.
The other winners included the 2023 Earthshot Prize, awarded to Accion Andina, GRST, WildAid Marine Programme and S4S Technologies, which have developed innovations to help reduce global warming. The prizes were presented at a ceremony at the state-owned Media Corp theatre, co-hosted by actors Hannah Waddingham and Sterling K. Brown and featuring performances by the bands Bastille and One Republic.
The group 2 prize is worth $127,391 and was bought online at the Toto website via the Singapore Pools app, the company said. The winning ticket number was 77.