Over the years, more than a dozen Chinese-language writers in Singapore have received the Cultural Medallion and the Young Artist Award, which are presented by the National Arts Council.

The Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s highest award for culture and arts, was initiated in 1979 by Singapore’s then-Acting Minister for Culture Ong Teng Cheong (1936–2002). The annual award recognises those who have made significant contributions to the country’s arts and cultural landscape. As of 2023, it has been awarded to 135 artists.

Cultural Medallion recipients

The nine Chinese writers who received the Cultural Medallion are Wong Meng Voon (1981), Wong Yoon Wah (1986), Zhou Can (1990), Dan Ying (1996), Yeng Pway Ngon (2003), Xi Ni Er (2008), You Jin (2009), Lin Gao (2015), and Chia Joo Ming (2021).

Cover of Selected Works of Singapore Cultural Medallion Chinese Writers, 2022. Courtesy of Global Publishing.

Wong Meng Voon (pen name Meng Yi) is known for his short stories and microfiction. He is one of the 14 founding members of the Singapore Association of Writers and served as its president for 18 years. In the 1990s, he played a significant role in promoting the creation and theoretical research of microfiction.

Wong Yoon Wah was the president of the Singapore Association of Writers for 12 years. A scholar of Chinese literature as well as a writer, his literary philosophy is that each of the four official languages in Singapore has its own rich literary tradition, and combined with the experiences unique to Singapore, it forms a distinct local literary tradition.

Zhou Can (Chew Kok Chang) navigates the fields of poetry, creative nonfiction, fiction, children’s literature, and literary criticism. His poems are generally simple and easy to understand. As a prolific writer, he has written numerous books of creative and critical literature. He is also one of the founding members of the Singapore Association of Writers and is its former Vice President in the 1970s.

Dan Ying (Lew Poo Chan) writes poetry and prose. Her poetry expresses the subtle emotions of women as well as a strong, assertive spirit. Her prose is emotionally rich and her narrative techniques are adept, portraying the pure, beautiful aspects of human nature.

Yeng Pway Ngon (1947–2021) had more than 20 published works, including poetry collections, novels, plays, essay collections, and commentaries. His works are imbued with a strong sense of critical consciousness. He founded the magazines Chazuo (Teahouse) and Jiechu (Contact) in 1969 and 1991 respectively. He also established Grassroots Book Room, one of Singapore’s Chinese bookstores, in 1995. He passed away in 2021 due to illness.

Xi Ni Er (Chia Hwee Pheng) served as the president of the Singapore Association of Writers for 12 years. He captures the vulnerabilities of human nature and social anomalies in works ranging from poetry to microfiction. Some of his works constitute part of the Singapore’s Scar Literature. His writings on the Vietnam War, World War II, and Korean War are imbued with a strong anti-war consciousness.

You Jin (Tham Yew Chin) writes novels, creative nonfiction, and travelogues. She has authored more than 200 works, of which five have been translated into English, along with an essay collection translated into Indonesian. Her works have been selected as extracurricular reading materials by numerous schools in Singapore and have become research texts for graduate students at several universities.

Lin Gao (Lim Hung Chang) writes lyric essays, microfiction, poetry, and literary criticism. His works are subtle and restrained, often analysed the depth of human nature between casual statements and dialogues. He has served as the Vice President of the Singapore Association of Writers and has been active in the Ministry of Education’s Author-in-Residence Programme for many years.

Chia Joo Ming often explores different themes in his works. His works possess a profound historical sense, coupled with innovative ideas and a critical spirit. He had served as a sub-editor of Lianhe Zaobao for many years. Harvard University scholar David Wang Der-wei has described him as “one of the ten keywords of Singapore’s Chinese cultural perspectives”.

Young Artist Award recipients

In 1992, the National Arts Council introduced the Young Artist Award for outstanding artists aged 35 and below. As of 2023, a total of 178 people have received it.

The Chinese literature recipients include Liang Wern Fook (1992), Chia Joo Ming (1993), Gabriel Wu (1998), Henry Low (1999), Tan Chee Lay (2004), and Ting Kheng Siong (2007).

Liang Wern Fook is one of Singapore’s pioneering xinyao (Mandarin ballads composed by the youth in Singapore). He received the Cultural Medallion for music in 2010. However, he has also made significant contributions to local literature, through his poetry, creative nonfiction and novels.

Gabriel Wu (pen name Wei Tong Que) has penned poetry collections such as Xinruan (Soft Heart), Gudu Zicheng Fengbao (Loneliness Creates Its Own Storm), Ban Cunzai (Half-Existence), and Xingcheng Ai (Formation of Love). He has also written the short story collections Renjian Xiuqi (Elegance in the Human World) and Huoban Leng (Fiery Cold). His works exhibit an aloof style with a resilient touch of critical undertones.

Henry Low is known for poetry collections such as Ruoshi Youqing (Love Hypothesis) and Yong Yizhong Huiyi Pincou Jiao Shenhua (A Myth Pieced Together with Memories), as well as the creative nonfiction collection Zhongshan Weirao (Surrounded by the Mountains). He also edited Xinjiapo de 99 fu Wenxue Fengjing (99 Literary Landscapes of Singapore). He is the President of the Singapore Association of Writers and the Chief Editor of the magazine Xinhua Wenxue (Singapore Chinese Literature).

Tan Chee Lay is a bilingual writer and scholar. He is also known for his poetry and prose, including Landmark Poetics of the Lion City which won the 2018 Singapore Literature Prize. He has edited academic publications and literary anthologies, such as Singathology: 50 New Works by Celebrated Singaporean Writers.

Ting Kheng Siong is the author of the lyric essays collection Wangle Xiashan (Forgot to Descend the Mountain) and the poetry collection Sanshi San Jian (Thirty-Three Rooms). He is the Vice President of the Singapore Association of Writers.

The awarding of the Cultural Medallion and the Young Artist Award means that the Singapore Government has long attached great importance to and concern for local art cultivation. It also encourages Singapore’s artists to continue their efforts and move towards excellence in the field of art, and has a motivating effect for the writers to improve their writing skills and actively create literary classics.