SALA Announces the 2024 Shortlisted Nominees
South Africa’s premier literary prize, the 19th South African Literary Awards will, on 7th November 2024, celebrate a literary milestone in style where over 30 authors will be honoured for their sterling contribution to South African literature at a gala dinner to be held at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Tshwane, a highlight in South Africa’s literary calendar.
Luminaries marked for this celebration are a tapestry of South African wordsmiths across a vast potpourri of languages and literary genres.
With the final adjudication convention and process for this year’s South African Literary Awards now completed by a 30-strong distinguished panel of judges, the shortlisted names of nominees are now available.
In addition to the SALA ceremony, the 12th Africa Century International African Writers Conference will be held on the same day, celebrating the 33rd International African Writers’ Day and 30 years of South Africa’s freedom and democracy.
The Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr Gayton McKenzie, will deliver the keynote address.
Founded in 2005 by the wRite associates, SALA is a vital platform for recognising the contributions of authors, translators, poets, and other literary practitioners. The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture plays a crucial role in supporting this initiative, demonstrating its commitment to promoting cultural and literary excellence.
“A big thank you must go to the judging panel, from across all our country’s official languages and 16 literary categories, who have read, analysed and finally reached consensus on which authors’ work make the cut”, said Morakabe Raks Seakhoa, the Managing Director of the wRite associates and SALA’s founding Executive Director, highlighting the significance of this year’s event.
Seakhoa adds: “SALA’s success reflects the dynamic and evolving literary scene in South Africa. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of exceptional writers who have made a significant impact.”
“SALA has always been a brave pioneering initiative, and the future will definitely inform our growth prospects. Having braved the fold, and with the foresighted and enterprising Advisory Board we have right now, a number of interventions are being explored, including considering rebranding some of the existing categories, expanding and adding others, e.g. women’s writing, writing by/for people living with disabilities in a variety of ways”, concluded Seakhoa.
The SALA honours work across 16 categories, including:
1. First-time Published Author Literary Award
2. k. Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award
3. Nadine Gordimer Short Story Literary Award
4. National Poet Laureate Prize
5. Regional Poet Laureate Prize
6. Local Poet Laureate Prize
7. Poetry Award
8. Literary Translators Award
9. Lifetime Achievement Literary Award
10. Posthumous Literary Award
11. Literary Journalism Award
12. Creative Non-Fiction Award
13. Chairperson’s Award
14. Children’s Literature Award
15. Youth Literature Award
16. Novel Award
“SALA originated and was the first to introduce and infuse into the South African literary lexicon the institution of the South African National Poet Laureate Prize, among the many of the 16 categories in the stable of recognition of literary excellence and craft,” Seakhoa said.
The Awards have previously recognised luminaries such as poets laureate Mazisi Kunene, Mongane Wally Serote, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer, and many others across the various categories and 11 official languages.
The events are by invitation and confirmation of attendance only.
For more information about the South African Literary Awards and the upcoming ceremony, please visit:
www.sala.org.za or contact info@writesassociates.co.za and/or: +27 11 791 9209
Issued by the South African Literary Awards © 2024