| Sabata Mpho Mokae |
| Literary Journalism Award |
| Sabata-mpho Mokae works for Independent Newspapers’ Kimberley-based publication, the Diamond Fields Advertiser (DFA) as the Sub Editor and Feature Writer.His interest in literary journalism goes back to the early 2000s when he began reviewing books for SABC’s Motsweding FM, which he did in Setswana, and later for Kaya FM in Johannesburg. He also freelanced for major publications such as Mail & Guardian, The Weekender and Sunday Independent.
Mokae’s book reviews and author interviews and profiles are published in the DFA newspaper, which targets readers in the Northern Cape, parts of the North West and Bloemfontein, every week. He is also the resident book reviewer for Motsweding FM as well as Kimberley’s local radio station, Radio Teemaneng. Apart from working for the newspaper company, Mokae is the author of the abridged biography, The Story of Sol T. Plaatje, in which the Deputy President of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe wrote the foreword. He considers writing the biography on Sol Plaatje an extended form of literary journalism since major part of his research had to do with Plaatje’s literature. He also spends his time raising books for community libraries in disadvantaged towns such as Taung and Christiana in the North West. Mokae holds a degree in law and worked for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development before quitting the legal profession for literature and journalism. Sabata-mpho Mokae lives with his family in Kimberley in the Northern Cape, the city in which some of his literary and journalism icons – Plaatje, Olive Schreiner, ZK Matthews and Aggrey Klaaste – once lived. |
