By Akshita Nanda

FROM 5am to 8pm most days, Mr Govindarajan Elangovan, 36, whips up pratas and curries at his food stall. Sundays though are for poetry. That is when his stall in Bukit Batok Crescent is closed and he can write.

It is hard going, but the father of two's perseverance has paid off. He won second prize for Tamil poetry at the Singapore Press Holdings-National Arts Council Golden Point Award competition.

Twenty-three authors from all walks of life were feted at a ceremony at The Arts House yesterday for their winning entries in the biennial writing contest.

Winners of SPH-NAC Golden Point Award

Short Story

Chinese category

First: Li Qingsong

Second: Ang Li Wei

Third: Wang Zhenye

English category

First: Jeremy Jeyam Samuel

Second: Lee Yew Leong

Third: Ho Lin Lee

Malay category

First: Yazid Hussein

Second: Muhammad Jailani Abu Taib

Third: Roslie Buang Sidik

Tamil category

First: Perinbam Vasudevan

Second: Ismail Meera Syed Sulaiman

Third: Subramaniam Arjunan

Poetry

Chinese category

First: Chow Teck Seng

Second: Lee Yit Seong

Third: Lee Chee Keng

English category

First: Eric Low Soon Liang

Second: Koh Xin Tian

Third: Liew Wai Yee Janet

Malay category

First: Muhammad Khairool Haque Abdul Kadir

Second: Hamed Ismail

Third: Muhamad Rafi Abu Bakar

Tamil category

No first prize awarded

Second: Govindarajan Elangovan

Third: Rajendran Neethipandi

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