The Food of Singapore Malays: Gastronomic Travels Through the Archipelago won this year’s triennial NUS Singapore History Prize, beating five other shortlisted works to clinch a $50,000 cash award. It’s the first time that a book on food has won the coveted honour, which was set up in 2014 to mark Singapore’s 50th birthday. Khir Johari, who won the inaugural prize in 2021, said he was “gobsmacked and honoured”.

The National University of Singapore’s Department of History has shortlisted six books for this year’s edition of the prize, which is held every three years. The prize aims to stimulate engagement with Singapore’s history, make the nuances of its historical narratives more accessible, and generate a better understanding among Singaporeans, according to a press release.

In 2024, the competition was open to works in English that have made a significant impact on our understanding of Singapore’s history. The finalists range from works with a wide-ranging scope to more personal ones, such as Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Gelam by Hidayah Amin. This work shines a light on the history of the area, which many see only as a quaint tourist attraction.

Other finalists include historian Jeremy Tiang’s book The 1950s: A Turning Point in Singapore’s History, which looks at how the period of change was marked by “a sense of possibility and urgency that will never again be replicated”, as well as a study of women’s lives during colonial Singapore by author Shelly Bryant, whose book was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize.

This year’s judges are a mix of writers and industry experts. They include Esplanade communications and content head Clarissa Oon for English creative non-fiction, Cultural Medallion recipient KTM’s chief creative officer Lee Han Yong for Malay non-fiction, and poet and writer Yeow Kai Chai for poetry. The winners will be announced at a ceremony next month.

The top prize is an all-expenses-paid trip for two to attend the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, including roundtrip flights and transfers. The winner will also be treated to sightseeing tours of the city and on-circuit entertainment.

The other prizes are a $10,000 cash award and a customised trophy. The winners will be named at a gala event on 27 November, with the public invited to vote for their favourite.

A number of studies have linked high gambling stakes with an increase in dementia, depression and suicide. Experts have welcomed the cap, which is expected to come into effect in 2020, as a step towards discouraging excessive betting and gambling. However, they warned that the move will not be effective in reducing gambling addictions, as individuals with poorer judgment would still be drawn to high-value prizes. Dr Lui Yit Shiang, a senior psychiatrist at Otium Mindhealth, cited the example of the latest handphone or audio system models, which can be eye-catching and entice gamblers to place bigger bets without realising that they’re racking up more debt. He added that the reward conditioning caused by frequent wins can have a serious negative impact on mental health.