[Preface of Jasmina Awards 2020 Publication] Tucked deep inside all of us are our memories; snapshots of unforgettable moments, frozen in time, played by ageless actors, these emotions retain their power, despite the years, to move us.
Once in a while, we take these memories out, dust them off and peer at them, perhaps even introduce a bias or a tint, smile and maybe tear or wince a little, and then relegate it back into the recesses of our minds.
It takes courage and strength of character to share these stories with the world, to have enough imagination to be able to capture the nuanced drama of the story, to sprinkle and infuse words and phrases with enough meaning that the heart is stirred.
It has truly been a privilege to be allowed to peek into the rich lives of our writers, to share in memories and observations which have so much capacity to generate empathy and connection.
There are many big-hearted individuals who have helped us make this such an unexpected success and we are deeply grateful to all of them. We would especially like to thank Liow Moi Lee, who helped with proofreading and editing of 6 winning entries, all jury members as well as our hard working volunteer Mabel.
We have a special mention to make: of a compassionate and generous philanthropist who has been supporting the Jasmina Awards since its first year. YBhg. Tan Sri Vincent Tan spontaneously offered to host all prize winners at his luxury hotel, Le Chateau at Berjaya Hills, nestled amongst the hills and rainforests, less than an hour out of Kuala Lumpur.
It was an unexpected treat for the prize winners and their significant other, a rare pleasure of being able to relax and enjoy the company of like-minded strangers, to just pause and delight in beautiful environs. We are very appreciative of this generous offer.
Thank you all for the honour of being part of this journey of telling the stories that matter.
Sunita Rajakumar and Dr Jasmina Kuka
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