GEORGE TOWN: The latest edition of the George Town Literary Festival, which began on Thursday, saw three winners announced for the Fay Khoo Award for Food and Drink Writing, yesterday.
From a shortlist of six, three entries were selected to receive cash prizes and the iconic Fay Khoo tiffin trophies.
A total of almost 50 entries from Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Britain and Guatemala were judged.
Astro copywriter Paula Tan was one of the winners for her piece “The Taste of Goodbye.”
Her entry is a tale which follows the protagonist out of a thunderstorm into Bentong, Pahang, where an anguished heart finds solace in the kindness of strangers and the meals they prepare.
Second winner Lee Say Lor’s entry “Food Memories” recalls how shared late-night supper treats with her family were as much an indication of love as the affection that her very traditional Chinese parents did not express.
The third winner, “Khowa”, was penned by Singapore-based writer Damyanti Biswas and is an account of growing up with her grandmother, who dispatched homemade Indian sweets, wit and wisdom in equal measure.
Set up in 2017 to honour the memory of the late Penang-born author, publisher, food critic, radio host, journalist and dedicated environmentalist Fay Khoo, the award has established itself as a leading champion of fine writing about food and drink in Southeast Asia.
The award’s founder and director Bettina Chua Abdullah describes food writing as the story of humanity, saying that there is no topic of writing more varied than that of food.
“Food is about more than sustenance and cooking: writers in this genre are exploring aspects of culture, health, the social and entertainment facets of food, technology and even business and economics.
“This award aims to recognise new and talented voices and to encourage and develop excellence in food and drink writing.
“For the last three years, it has been a privilege to read some truly beautifully-crafted, thoughtful and just delicious narratives that remind us we are social, creative, cultural, thinking beings bound by food,” she added.
Alongside the presentation of prizes last night, the event also saw the unveiling of the new publication, “Telltale Food: Writings from the Fay Khoo Award 2017–2019”.
The book, touted as Malaysia’s first anthology of food writing, is compiled from three years of submissions, and 31 stories were chosen to mark the third year of the award.