Once more, with feeling

Dear Reader, Another Ramadan is upon us, and for some of us, that means the return of Sehri Tales. Now entering its fifth year, the humble self-challenge has crossed borders, so that we now have Talers writing in from around the world.

Last year, we got to see some stellar writing and some incredible art. What was more inspiring than the quality of work produced during the holy month, was the community that was formed in the process. There were some people who joined Talespeople to read the fresh stories. They took it upon themselves to cheer on the writers, encouraging the tentative first-timers. It is because of this selfless support that we were truly able to foster a warm, nurturing safe space for our participants. My first shout out this season, therefore, goes to our tireless cheerleaders. You made a fun event so much more meaningful.

When I created the challenge, I hadn't thought much beyond the intrinsic rewards of producing original writing, but at Talespeople, we wanted to give our participants a little more motivation. Thanks to our collaboration with Star Youth, we got the opportunity to showcase the best writing every day on this wonderful platform provided, and to bring these stories to you! A big heartfelt thank you to The Daily Star for joining us for an encore.

A fifth year is a milestone indeed, and we hope to celebrate with some neat surprises. So stay tuned for more announcements, and more importantly, please stay hydrated.

The author is the founder of the Sehri Tales annual creativity challenge