The Prince of Wales Visits Singapore For the Third Annual Earthshot Prize
The Prince of Wales, Britain’s heir to the throne, is in Singapore for the third annual awards ceremony of the Earthshot Prize, which he created three years ago to inspire optimism about the urgent challenges facing our planet. His royal foundation chose Singapore as the venue for the awards, which were held this year on Tuesday, in recognition of the city-state’s status as a hub for innovation in Asia. The event opened with a soliloquy from natural history broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, followed by Ted Lasso host Hannah Waddingham and actor Sterling K. Brown welcoming delegates to the country known as the gateway to Southeast Asia.
The awards celebrated innovations in nature protection, clean air, ocean revival and waste elimination, with winners ranging from solar-powered dryers to a new way of making electric car batteries. The winner in the climate change category was Accion Andina, an organization that works to protect native high Andean forest ecosystems for their benefit to both nature and millions of people who live in the region. The award for the best book about Singapore went to the novel A Little White Lies by Tiang Wei Min, a first-time winner who explores the power of truth and lies in the context of a tightly controlled state.
Several of the winning books were about Singapore’s rich and often complex history. The NUS History Prize, which was established in 2014, aims to broaden definitions of what constitutes history by calling for writings that explore multiple perspectives and themes.
Other winners in the literary categories include alllkunila for her debut novel Innnpa, and Jee Leong Koh for his debut work Snow at 5 pm: Translations of an Insignificant Japanese Poet. Nonagenarian Wang Gungwu and literary pioneer Yeow Kai Chai also clinched the English literature prizes, and both have been praised for “redefining the meaning of Singapore literature.”
At the event’s finale, the winners of the readers’ choice award were unveiled. This year, more than 4,000 readers voted for their favorite book. The winning authors will each receive a trophy and be invited to present their work at the World Interiors Expo 2023 in Singapore, where they will have an opportunity to showcase their innovative projects to global design professionals.
William, who was visiting on his own because his wife, Kate, is at home in the U.K. to help their son, Prince George, prepare for his school exams, planted a sapling at the Jewel at Changi Airport on his arrival. Earlier in the day, he met with local environmental groups, including the winners of the awards, and saw how they are using their inventions to protect the planet. He shared a video of the trip on his Instagram account, where he sat at a table next to Coral Vita founder Brian Lee and Accion Andina CEO Yves Laprise. He was also shown the Rain Vortex, the world’s largest indoor waterfall, which is illuminated green and lit up for the occasion.