POPULAR - The Star Readers’ Choice Awards & POPULAR - BH Anugerah Pilihan Pembaca 2026

Congratulations to all the winning authors and titles, and thank you to our amazing readers for casting your votes and supporting your favourite books! 💖 Let’s continue to celebrate the joy of reading together!

RCA Fiction Winners

  Book Title Author
1st Prize Library of Lost Hearts N.F. Afrina
2nd Prize Immortal Sue Lynn Tan
3rd Prize Thinking of Loving You Ain Nabilah

RCA Non-Fiction Winners

  Book Title Author
1st Prize When Worries Turn to Hope Ezzah Mahmud
2nd Prize For the Heart That’s Still Hurting Iffah Nizar
3rd Prize The Beauty Of Promised Rizq Ayesha Syahira

Pemenang APP Fiksyen

  Tajuk Buku Penulis
Hadiah Pertama Rahsia Danny Teme Abdullah
Hadiah Kedua Di Antara Dua Sujud Thyora
Hadiah Ketiga Qaid - The Unknown Effalee

Pemenang APP Bukan Fiksyen

  Tajuk Buku Penulis
Hadiah Pertama Surat Cinta dari Tuhan Adnin Roslan
Hadiah Kedua Ibu Penat, Tapi Ibu Sayang Bonda Umirah
Hadiah Ketiga Seberat Itu Ya Menjadi Dewasa Iddin Ramli

Conceived with the shared objective of encouraging, recognising and rewarding both aspiring and established writers in enriching the Malaysian literary scene, the POPULAR – The Star Readers’ Choice Awards (RCA) and POPULAR – BH Anugerah Pilihan Pembaca (APP) remain a key highlight of BookFest @ Malaysia. Held in conjunction with the 20th Anniversary of BookFest @ Malaysia, the 16th edition of these awards continues to celebrate the contributions of local writers at the heart of the nation’s reading culture.

An initiative that began in 2008, RCA for English reads and APP for Malay reads aim to inspire creativity among local authors while further strengthening the literary industry by recognising their efforts and contributions.

Organised in collaboration with The Star and Berita Harian, both awards honour outstanding works across a wide range of genres. Over the years, they have highlighted the breadth and quality of writing by Malaysian authors, reflecting POPULAR’s ongoing commitment to nurturing a reading culture among communities nationwide.