KUALA LUMPUR: The timeless love of books continues to hold a special place in our hearts and minds as the Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards (RCA) returns to honour the very best of literary masterpieces by local authors.
The 15th edition of the awards saw 20 local authors given their much-deserved recognition for their sensational literary works from various genres, 10 of which were nominated for non-fiction category awards with another 10 for the fiction category awards.
Education Ministry deputy director-general (policy sector and curriculum) Dr Rusmini Ku Ahmad, who represented Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, praised the nominated works as having enriched the national literary heritage.
“Their works capture our nation’s rich history, traditions, and contemporary experiences, allowing readers to explore and connect with their cultural identity.
All smiles: Rusmini (centre) flanked by Chin (left) and Yiu in a group photo with the top three winners for both fictional and non-fictional categories during the 15th Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
“They also serve as essential educational resources that inspire and shape the minds of our future generations, reflecting the ministry’s vision of fostering a reading culture that nurtures lifelong learning.
“Through works like these, a strong literary foundation enriched by multilingual reading can be formed, which is essential to developing more well-informed and innovative Malaysians that are prepared to navigate our ever-evolving world,” she said in her speech at the awards ceremony yesterday.
Rusmini also said the ministry would continue to support such literary contributions by integrating local literature into the education system, encouraging young Malaysians to engage with homegrown stories.
Popular Holdings Bhd director Simon Shen said the awards and nominated books have become invaluable gateways to knowledge, diverse cultures and unique experiences for Malaysians.
Personal touch: Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong signing a copy of his book ‘Second Takeoff: Strategies for Malaysia’s Economic Resurgence’ after it was nominated for an award at the 15th Popular-The Star Reader’s Choice Awards at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Looking on are Star Media Group (SMG) group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt (right) and Chin.
“Through masterpieces such as those nominated, we hope to instil the love of reading back into our society and the younger generations.
“That is why RCA is not just a recognition of literary success but also serves as a platform to showcase and reward authors for their contributions to society,” he said in his speech at the event.
The three winners in each category were then awarded a certificate of recognition, a trophy and a cash prize in recognition of their masterpieces by Rusmini along with Star Media Group senior news editor (education) Christina Chin and Popular Holdings Limited director Emily Yiu.
The fiction category saw its third place won by Nuruljannah Usop for her book Lyrics & You, second place was won by first-time author Sajeet Soudagar for his book Silencing the Lambs while first place was awarded to The Hysterical Girls of St Bernadette’s by Hanna Alkaf.
“We live in a time where making art can be difficult as it’s not always encouraged and may even feel like a useless endeavour but the world needs the art we make now more than ever.
“With this win, I hope to inspire more young authors or would-be authors around Malaysia to continue creating art as it is the closest thing we have to magic in real life,” Hanna said.
Meanwhile, the non-fiction category’s first place was awarded to Finding Beauty in the Storm by Pahrol Mohamad Juoi, the second place was given to Lilian Tan for her work Behind the Stories, and the third place was won by The Art of Waiting by Ezzah Mahmud.
“In our everyday lives that are full of challenges, my book is about finding beauty in the midst of our life’s challenges and that is what I hope to inspire my readers to do through my book,” said Pahrol, adding that his book was his first ever professional work.
Hosted at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the RCA was also held in conjunction with Popular-BH Anugerah Pilihan Pembaca (APP) awards and Malaysia’s largest trilingual book fair, BookFest @ Malaysia which ended yesterday.
All 40 nominated titles from RCA and APP, according to a statement by Popular Holdings Bhd, will be put on display at all Popular/Harris bookstores nationwide for customers to view as well as being sold at 20% discount until May 4 later this year.
