SINGAPORE — The prize that recognises cities for their innovation efforts will be expanding in 2024, with the addition of a translation category and a new award for debut writers. Organiser the Singapore Book Council said on Jan 11 that it had added these categories to “recognise and promote increasingly diverse published works by authors of Singaporean origin or permanent residents”. Previously, the biennial SLP awarded books in the Chinese, English, Malay, and Tamil languages for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
The winner will receive a cash prize of S$50,000. The runner-up will receive S$25,000, and the third place will get S$10,000.
A jury will select the winning entry from a shortlist of 20 submitted by schools. The shortlisted works will then be displayed in the Singapore Discovery Centre for the public to vote for their favourite. The winner will be announced in February.
This year, the prize celebrates its fifth anniversary and has received a record of more than 900 nominations from cities across the world. It is a platform for showcasing the best of the best in terms of innovative projects and urban solutions from around the globe, and a means to inspire other cities in their quest for excellence.
Singapura, which was the first city to win the prize in 2016, is a model for other cities to follow. Its pioneering work in the field of sustainable and smart living is widely cited in the media. Its focus on people, nature and technology is transforming the lives of its citizens.
The prize is judged by a panel of experts from around the world who are seasoned practitioners and have extensive global networks. The judges have a range of perspectives and expertise, and are drawn from the private sector, government agencies, academia, civil society organisations and think tanks. They will assess the nominations from a global perspective, looking at how cities are making progress and the impact of their efforts.
During his visit to Singapore, Prince William will meet with Accion Andina, GRST, WildAid Marine Programme, and S4S Technologies, the 2023 Earthshot Prize Winners. He will also attend a United for Wildlife summit featuring law enforcement, conservation and business leaders working together to combat the illegal trade in wildlife products.
He will conclude his visit by participating in a dragon boat race, and meeting Singaporeans to learn about the environmental efforts in their communities. The Prince will also see how Singapore is utilising artificial intelligence to protect the planet. In a bid to combat climate change, the Prince will also launch the Climate Change and Sustainability Action Fund to support businesses that are committed to making our cities more sustainable and resilient. Lastly, he will also unveil a set of new milestones for the National Eco-innovation Strategy (NEIS). The NIES will provide a platform for collaboration and partnerships to address climate change in a holistic way. The scheme will also fund the research and development of a national eco-innovation policy framework, and provide support for a global network of Eco-Innovation labs to facilitate exchanges and knowledge-sharing among cities.