January 31, 2018

The inaugural Singapore History Prize has been awarded to Professor John Miksic (NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies) for his book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800. Supported by findings such as glass shards and bronze bowls painstakingly gathered from 25 years of archaeological research, Prof Miksic presents a compelling case that the history of Singapore began more than 700 years ago as a bustling trading port. As explained by Professor Wang Gungwu (NUS University Professor, Department of History & Chairman of East Asian Institute) who chaired the jury that unanimously awarded the honor to Prof Miksic, this is the most important work among the submissions because it has allowed for a “fundamental reinterpretation” of Singapore’s history, for the work “firmly established the extension of Singapore’s history back to the 1300s-1400s period.”

Moving forward, Prof Miksic plans to work with NUS Press to set up a website to document the ancient artefacts that have been uncovered in Singapore. His book will also be translated into Mandarin by next year.

Also part of the jury panel, Professor Kishore Mahbubani indicated that for the next round of the Singapore History Prize, slated for 2020 or 2021, categories open for submission could be expanded to include works of fiction.

Read the article here.