Edwin Thumboo Prize 2022
June 20, 2022
The Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2022 to three pre-university students for their outstanding literary work.
Named after one of Singapore’s most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize, aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Prize, established in 2019, is funded by generous donors, including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.
Winner
Mr Nicholas Yong Yoong-Yao
Raffles Institution
$200 prize award
Nicholas Yong
Nicholas’s essay “Truth and Reality in Andrew Marvell’s Selected Poems and Philip Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella compared how the two Renaissance poets explored the relationship between humanity’s two realities – earthly existence and aspiration towards a higher spiritual realm.
In a video interview, he credits his parents, teachers from primary school to JC, and friends for playing a significant role in inculcating his love for reading and his passion for the arts. He also shares why he believes literature and the arts is important in society, and how these can be made accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Nicholas has read his script at the Eat My Shorts play reading event at the Singapore Late Night Festival in 2017 and read his poetry at the Spotlight on the CAP Poets poetry reading event as part of the Poetry Festival SG 2018. He served as an Exco member of Project Vitamindz, where he led and carried out enrichment encompassing arts, language and the humanities for under-privileged primary school students from 2020 to 2021. He also served as a member of the National Gallery Singapore’s inaugural youth arts collective Kolektif by organising and rolling out public arts programmes for the Light to Night Festival 2021.
Merit Prizes
Caleb Low
Catholic Junior College
Ms Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin
St Joseph’s Institution
Two Merit Prizes were awarded to Mr Caleb Low from Catholic Junior College and Ms Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin from St Joseph’s Institution. They will receive monetary awards of $100 each.
The winners of the Edwin Thumboo Prize were selected through a rigorous selection process. In 2021, government pre-university institutions were invited to nominate one candidate each. The competition attracted entries from 13 institutions.
Each institution had to submit recommendations for their nominated candidates. The candidates were also required to submit a piece of academic writing on a literary text or topic.
Candidates were assessed by a selection panel comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former Angus Ross prize-winners. The selection panel for this year’s Prize included Assistant Professor Heather Brink-Roby from the Department and Ms Amanda Chong, published poet and playwright, lawyer and advocate.
About Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo
Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore’s pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.
His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).
2020/21
Joint Prize Winners
- Suneeti Sreekumar
- National Junior College
- Wong Shao-Yi
- Raffles Institution
Merit Awards
- Elise Lauw
- Temasek Junior College
- Nyang Ying Zhi
- Hwa Chong Institution
2019/20
Prize Winner
- Loh Su Jean
- Raffles Institution
Merit Awards
- Freyja Chu Shuai Wu
- Dunman High School
- Ng Zheng Yang
- Anglo Chinese Junior College
- Silvia Suseno
- Nanyang Junior College
2018/19
Prize Winner
- Gan Chong Jing
- Raffles Institution
Merit Awards
- Jane Lee Jia Hui
- Dunman High School
- Lim Yi Jun
- River Valley High School
- Yew Jien Huey
- Victoria Junior College