Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA)

The Scholastic Asian Book Award (SABA) is a joint initiative between Singapore Book Council (SBC) and Scholastic Asia. To promote Asian experiences and expression in creative and innovative forms, this award recognises writers of Asian origin whose manuscripts have the potential to share uniquely Asian experiences of life, spirit, and thinking with the rest of the world. 

Announcement:

The call for submission for SABA is now extended to 31 October 2022, 5.00pm (SGT). The winner announcement and award ceremony for SABA will now take place during AFCC in May 2023.

Objectives:

  • To recognise excellence in fiction in Asian stories for children
  • To showcase the diversity of literary talent in Asia
  • To encourage and inspire more Asian-themed books and stories

31 October 2022
5.00pm

SABA Winner List

Shortlists below are not listed in order of merit.

Winners

Winner

Wing of the Locust

Author: Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Country: Philippines

1st Runner-up

Red Eyes

Author: Varsha Seshan

Country: India

2nd Runner-up

Blue2

Author: Yuet Lan Dora Tsang

Country: Hong Kong

Shortlists

Last Days of the Morning Calm

Author: Tina Jimin Walton

Country: Singapore

My Ghost Story

Author: Mabel Gan

Country: Singapore

Queen of the Sky

Author: Josephine Chia

Country: Singapore

Winners

Winner

Codex: The Lost Treasure of the Indus

Author: Aditi Krishnakumar

Country: India

1st Runner-up

Chasing Freedom

Author: Tina Cho

Country: South Korea

2nd Runner-up

Island Girl

Author: Ho Lee Ling, Stephanie

Country: Singapore

Shortlists

Dragonflies, Jigsaws and a Rainbow

Author: Varsha Seshan

Country: India

The Budding Traveller

Author: Golda Mowe

Country: Malaysia

Winners

Winner

What Things Mean

Author: Sophia Lee

Country: Philippines

1st Runner-up

Sula's Voyage

Author: Catherine Torres

Country: Philippines

2nd Runner-up

Robin and the Case of the Summer Camp Kidnapping

Author: Vivek Bhanot

Country: India

Shortlists

Dragonhearted: The Fine Spell of Words Alone

Author: Thia Shi Min

Country: Singapore

Ergo Sum

Author: Aditi Krishnakumar

Country: India

Winners

Winner

Bungee Cord Hair

Author: Ching Yeug Russell

Country: US

1st Runner-up

The Locked Up Boy

Author: Pauline Loh Tuan Lee

Country: Singapore

2nd Runner-up

Hidden in Plain Sight

Author: Ang Su-Lin

Country: Singapore

3rd Runner-up

Double Take

Author: Katherine Seow

Country: Singapore

Winners

Winner

Book Uncle and Me

Author: Uma Krishnaswami

1st Runner-up

The Girl Mechanic of Wanzhou

Author: Marjorie Sayer

2nd Runner-up

The Mudskipper

Author: Ovidia Yu Tsin-Yuen

Shortlists

Backyard Banzai Chicken Warriors

Author: Kimi Takazawa

Kam’s Schoolfish Rolls

Author: Sue Flotow

Kingfisher

Author: Chee Siew Hoong

The Kumquat Code

Author: Yat-Yee Chong

The Last Hero of Orion

Author: Farooq Jamil Alvi

The Zone Kate

Author: Whitehead

These Enchanted Woods

Author: Margaret Lim Hui Lian