{"id":695,"date":"2021-05-04T12:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/ell\/?page_id=695"},"modified":"2022-04-28T16:24:29","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T16:24:29","slug":"honours-and-awards","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/honours-and-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Honours and Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Honours and Awards<\/h2>\r\n

\"Edwin<\/p>\r\n

The Department of English Language and Literature has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2021 to four pre-university students for their exceptional performance in the study of literature.<\/p>\r\n

Named after one of Singapore\u2019s most prominent poets and the Department\u2019s Emeritus Professor, the Edwin Thumboo Prize seeks to encourage excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students of English Literature in Singapore. Established in 2019, the annual Prize is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE), and is funded by generous donors including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.<\/p>\r\n

Joint Winners<\/h2>\r\n

Suneeti Sreekumar
(National Junior College) Wong Shao-Yi
(Raffles Institution) \"Suneeti<\/p>\r\n

Suneeti Sreekumar<\/h3>\r\n

Suneeti\u2019s essay explored the themes of inadequacy and the quest for affirmation in J.M. Coetzee\u2019s Age of Iron<\/em> and Edward Albee\u2019s Who\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

Suneeti said, \u201cI owe it all to my parents for impressing on me from young the value of reading widely and for supporting all my endeavours. I\u2019d like to thank both the NJC English and Language Arts Departments. I would like to give special thanks to the following teachers Ms Carmen Ng, Ms Sylvia Soh, Mrs Marianne Tan, Ms Eleanor Neo and Mr Chua Chin Yang for contributing to my love for the written word across six years of studying literature.\u201d She added, \u201cStudying literature has completely changed my outlook on life and literature to me has always been about being surprised by deceptive simplicity.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\"Wong<\/p>\r\n

Wong Shao-Yi<\/h3>\r\n

Shao-Yi\u2019s essay examined the liminal qualities of sleep and imagination in Shakespeare\u2019s The Tempest<\/em>.<\/p>\r\n

Shao-Yi expressed her gratitude to her teachers at RI, Ms Lye Su Lin, Mrs Nicola Perry and Ms Melissa Tan, sharing \u201cThey taught me to appreciate the poem, the play, the novel, in all their beauty and they helped me to grow into a more confident writer and perceptive reader. Most of all, they put their faith in the earnest dorky kid who loved and will always love literature. I can\u2019t thank them enough. I\u2019m also thankful to my parents for reading to me before I could and reading next to me ever since then. Every family has a special place and I\u2019m so glad my parents made ours the bookstore.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Merit Prizes<\/h2>\r\n

\"Elise<\/p>\r\n

Elise Lauw (Temasek JC)<\/p>\r\n

\"Nyang<\/p>\r\n

Nyang Ying Zhi (Hwa Chong Institution)<\/p>\r\n

Two Merit Prizes were awarded to Ms Elise Lauw from Temasek JC and Mr Nyang Ying Zhi from Hwa Chong Institution.<\/p>\r\n

The Edwin Thumboo Prize winners were selected through a rigorous process. The competition attracted entries from 12 pre-university institutions, including those offering the IB Diploma Programme.<\/p>\r\n

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\u2019s Prize included Associate Professor Anne Thell from the Department and the 1997 Angus Ross Prize Winner, Mr Aaron Maniam.<\/p>\r\n

Said Mr Maniam, \u201cThe Edwin Thumboo Prize was established to celebrate outstanding achievements in the study of English Literature at the pre-university level; this year\u2019s winners have truly lived up to these aims. Even being nominated is an achievement in itself, since each school is asked to nominate only their top performer. The interviews involved analysing two unseen poems, discussion of an essay submitted by each student, and an exploration of general issues regarding literature and its role in societies. While every candidate was strong, the judges were particularly impressed by our four winners\u2019 combination of lucid analysis and deep enthusiasm for their subjects.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He added, \u201cTheir analysis of the poems and depth of argumentation in their essays shone through. We hope that all four of the top students realise that they are working at an intellectual level that is rare even in university settings, showing remarkable agility of mind and rich, spontaneous responses in the wide-ranging literary discussions we engaged in. Their conviction, poise and rigour made them truly phenomenal and a pleasure to interview.”<\/p>\r\n

Associate Professor Michelle Lazar, Head of the NUS Department of English Language and Literature said, \u201cWe continue to be impressed by the quality, the range of intellectual approaches to understanding the literary texts, and the sophistication of the students\u2019 writing and analysis. We thank our partners from MOE and the pre-university institutions for working with us to promote the study of and love for literature.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

About Emeritus Professor Edwin\u00a0Thumboo<\/h3>\r\n

\"Edwin<\/p>\r\n

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore\u2019s pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.<\/p>\r\n

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\u00a0(2008).<\/p>\r\n

Past Winners<\/h2>\r\n

2018\/19<\/h3>\r\n

Prize Winner<\/h4>\r\n
\r\n
Gan Chong Jing<\/dt>\r\n
Raffles Institution<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n
\r\n

Merit Awards<\/h4>\r\n
\r\n
Jane Lee Jia Hui<\/dt>\r\n
Dunman High School<\/dd>\r\n
Lim Yi Jun<\/dt>\r\n
River Valley High School<\/dd>\r\n
Yew Jien Huey<\/dt>\r\n
Victoria Junior College<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n

2019\/20<\/h3>\r\n

Prize Winner<\/h4>\r\n
\r\n
Loh Su Jean<\/dt>\r\n
Raffles Institution<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n
\r\n

Merit Awards<\/h4>\r\n
\r\n
Freyja Chu Shuai Wu<\/dt>\r\n
Dunman High School<\/dd>\r\n
Ng Zheng Yang<\/dt>\r\n
Anglo Chinese Junior College<\/dd>\r\n
Silvia Suseno<\/dt>\r\n
Nanyang Junior College<\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Honours and Awards The Department of English Language and Literature has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2021 to four pre-university students for their exceptional performance in the study of literature. Named after one of Singapore\u2019s most prominent poets and the Department\u2019s Emeritus Professor, the Edwin Thumboo Prize seeks to encourage excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students of English Literature in Singapore. Established in 2019, the annual Prize is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE), and is funded by generous donors including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize. Joint Winners Suneeti Sreekumar(National Junior College) Wong Shao-Yi(Raffles Institution) Suneeti Sreekumar Suneeti\u2019s essay explored the themes of inadequacy and the quest for affirmation in J.M. Coetzee\u2019s Age of Iron and Edward Albee\u2019s Who\u2019s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Suneeti said, \u201cI owe it all to my parents for impressing on me from young the value of reading widely and for supporting all my endeavours. I\u2019d like to thank both the NJC English and Language Arts Departments. I would like to give special thanks to the following […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":247,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-695","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/247"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=695"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2001,"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/695\/revisions\/2001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fass.nus.edu.sg\/elts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}