The stories of ordinary Singaporeans have a starring role in the shortlist for this year’s Singapore prize. The list, published by NUS Press, includes a historical tome on life in the estate of the same name over five decades as well as a novel that looks at the lives of an average family. All the works eschew the traditional view of history as a record of big movers and shakers.

The prize was established in 2014 to mark the nation’s SG50 celebrations and recognises significant publications on Singapore’s past. The inaugural award went to archaeologist John Miksic for his book, Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800.

Miksic’s work shows that fragmented historic records, such as literary references to Temasek, hints at the existence of Singapore before Sir Stamford Raffles arrived in 1819. He also shows how undisturbed layers of soil and artefacts found at archaeological digs substantiate his claims.

Prof Miksic is a Distinguished Fellow at the NUS Asia Research Institute and teaches at the university’s Department of Southeast Asian Studies. He began excavating in Singapore in 1984 and has conducted many projects at Fort Canning, Old Parliament House and the Empress Place. The 71-year-old American said his winning the prize “is a real honour”.

His win follows a stellar career in academia that has seen him publish dozens of books and edit a number of anthologies. He has taught in universities around the world and is a regular presenter at major international conferences.

He says he was inspired by the “sense of discovery and fascination” that he felt when digging at sites across the world. He has a strong commitment to the public and says he wants to continue working to bring the history of Singapore to a wider audience.

The six works are competing for the top prize of S$50,000 (US$39,500). The winner will be announced on May 23.

Shelly Bryant divides her time between Shanghai and Singapore, where she works as a writer, editor and translator. She has translated Chinese fiction for Penguin Books, Epigram Publishing, the National Library Board of Singapore and Giramondo Books, as well as editing poetry anthologies for Alban Lake and Celestial Books. She has been a long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize for her translation of Sheng Keyi’s Northern Girls and You Jin’s In Time.

She is currently working on a book of poems based on the lives of her grandfathers, who migrated from China to Singapore in the 1940s. She is also the author of a series of children’s books about the lives of Singapore’s migrants.

The other two finalists are Seven Hundred Years by Kwa Chong Guan, Tan Tai Yong, Peter Borschberg and Derek Heng, and Home Is Where We Are by Kamaladevi Aravindan. All the shortlisted authors have made impressive contributions in pushing the boundaries of research and innovation in their respective fields. The judging panel for the prize comprises representatives from the government, business and academic institutions.