The Department of History at NUS established the Singapore History Prize in 2014 to spur interest in and understanding of Singapore’s history, and to make its complexities and nuances more accessible to non-academic audiences. It is open to works published in English, and to authors of any nationality.
The inaugural prize was awarded to Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800 by American archaeologist Prof John Miksic. A four-member jury panel picked his book from five shortlisted submissions, he said. The prize is the first to be devoted entirely to Singapore’s history.
It all started with an opinion column that Prof Mahbubani wrote in April 2014. It called for philanthropists to donate cash towards a book prize dedicated to the city-state’s history. A few months later, an anonymous donor contacted him to say that he would give S$500,000 into an endowment fund, with the interest used to award a book annually on Singapore’s past.
Prof Miksic has been conducting excavations in Singapore since 1984, and was also part of the team that excavated the Fort Canning site. He has also participated in other archaeological projects, including those at Empress Place and Old Parliament House. The 71-year-old said he did not expect to win the prize, but hoped that his book would tell “discoverers” who help with excavations the importance of their work.
He will receive the award certificate, gold medallion and cash prize from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, during his visit here. He will also take part in a United for Wildlife summit, where he will meet with Singaporeans to see how local organisations are working to combat the global illegal trade in wildlife.
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