THE Popular-The Star Readers’ Choice Awards (RCA), which will be held in conjunction with BookFest @ Malaysia, is back.
The RCA is organised in tandem with The Star for English readers, with the aim of encouraging creativity among local authors and to further augment the local literary industry by recognising authors for their efforts and contributions.
The awards are separated into fiction and non-fiction categories with each category having nominated 10 books that were selected from last year’s bestselling fiction and non-fiction titles at Popular and Harris bookstores nationwide.
Currently the 20 nominated titles are available at 20% rebate until July 9 at all Popular and Harris bookstores.
The 100 lucky RCA voters will receive a RM50 gift voucher and one-year Popular e-card membership.
Readers are invited to vote for their favourite fiction and non-fiction titles on the BookFest @ Malaysia website (www.bookfestmalaysia.com), Popular website (www.popular.com.my) or Popular Malaysia’s Facebook page from now until May 7.
Similar to the RCA of previous years, they will have the opportunity to rank their favourites authors on the winners’ podium, so readers can “read to vote and vote to win”.
The nominees for fiction books are:
> Advocate and solicitor Norhafsah Hamid for her book Time to Heal.
Norhafsah has published over 10 books, several of which have won publishing awards
> Short fiction writer and first time novelist Karina Robles Bahrin for her book The Accidental Malay.
> Fantasy novelist Tan Sue Lynn for Daughter of the Moon Goddess, which was published by Harper Voyager and has a sequel titled Heart of the Sun Warrior, which was published November last year.
> Ex-police officer and crime novelist Rozlan Mohd Noor for Posthumous Child: Inspector Mislan and the Playground Murder.
> Ex-journalist and full-time mum Hanna Alkaf for Queen of the Tiles.
> Entrepreneur Murale Pillai for Once Upon a Time in Malaysia.
> Reformed legal counsel Lauren Ho, who now writes for pleasure, for Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic.
She is also the author of the international bestseller, Last Tang Standing.
> Author of the anthology Without Anchovies, Chua Kok Yee’s debut novel Not a Monster.
> Children and comic book writer Tan Jit Seng with his first full-length horror fantasy Abandoned Gods.
> Rose Gan with her book Pearl: Penang Chronicles II. Gan, who was born in Britain and married a Malaysian, mainly writes and edits museum publications for Malaysia and Indonesia.
On the non-fiction list are:
> Co-founder of FashionValet Group, Vivy Yusof with The First Decade: My Journey From Blogger To Entrepreneur.
> Optometrist and author of over 10 books, Sharifah Nadirah, together with Muhammad Anas: Healing the Heart: Leaving Darkness for Light.
> Chinese literature major Angeline Lee Hoong Lian’s The Tree Whisperer: The official biography of Tan Sri Dr Lee Shin Cheng, founder of IOI Group.
> Puchong MP and former minister Yeo Bee Yin’s The Unfinished Business.
> Author and policy analyst Lim Teck Ghee, with Murray Hunter for Dark Forces Changing Malaysia.
> Fiery ex-minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz for Rapid-Fire Rafidah: Being Malaysian First.
> A prominent leader in the fight against Covid-19, Datuk Dr Anas Alam Faizli for Rich Malaysia, Poor Malaysians.
> Learned professor in Asia and Europe, Gary Lit Ying Loong for If The Sky Were to Fall: An Intergenerational Journey of Trials and Tribulations in Malaya During and After the Wars.
> Ex-Dewan Rakyat speaker Tan Sri Ariff Yusof with Parliament, Unexpected : Recollections of Parliament, Politics, and Pandemic in Malaysia.
> Setiawangsa MP and Keadilan vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad for Malaysian Son: A progressive’s political journey in the heart of Southeast Asia.
The Popular-The Star Readers’ Choice Awards ceremony will be held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on June 3.
The event will be in conjunction with the BookFest @ Malaysia 2023, which will take place from June 3-11.
