Archive for the ‘Awards’ Category
by Amy on May 17th, 2012
Following the success of the inaugural Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award in 2011, Jacana Media is motivated to further strengthen South Africa’s voice and creative spirit.
To ensure that all South African poets have the opportunity to give a voice to their vision, the deadline for submissions for the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award 2012 has been extended to 31 May 2012.
The prize, for poetry in ALL 11 South African languages, will be awarded later this year. All selected works will be published in an annual anthology. Selected poets will be invited to appear at a South African poetry festival and a cash prize of R10 000 will be divided among the selected poets.
Rules
- Entrants are encouraged to write in their mother tongue.
- Poems may not have been published in book form before, but may have been published in journals or magazines.
- Entries are limited to 3 poems per poet.
- Entrants must be South African citizens permanently resident in South Africa.
- Entries must include 6 copies of each poem entered plus a soft copy in a suitable word-processing package. No handwritten entries will be considered.
- Entries must include a separate one-page biography of the author, including the name of their poem and current contact details.
- The award is judged blind and therefore any poems that include the author’s name will be disqualified.
- By entering this competition, entrants give permission for the publication of their poem for no payment if selected in the annual anthology. If the entry is not in English, they give permission to translate the poem into English for publication together with the original language poem.
Submissions
Submit your entries by 31 May 2012 in a clearly marked envelope indicating the award and the language of entry. The entry form must be included and is available to download at www.jacana.co.za. Submissions not accompanied by an entry form will not be accepted!
Send to: Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award, PO Box 291784, Melville 2109
Or deliver by hand to: Jacana Media, 10 Orange Street, Sunnyside, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2092
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by Amy on May 15th, 2012
Jacana Media is thrilled to announce that McIntosh Polela has been shortlisted for the prestigious Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for his book My Father, My Monster.
“McIntosh Polela’s brave and honest account of his struggles to make something of himself under terrible conditions, and his heartbreaking look at his difficult relationship with his father, made sure that the voice of many unheard South Africans was acknowledged by the judges.” – Tymon Smith, Sunday Times
An overwhelmed Polela said he “felt embarrassed crying in front of such a big audience because, as spokeman for the Hawks, I’m supposed to be stiff and snobbish and shouldn’t cry.”
– Sunday Times, May 13 2012
A triumph of the human spirit
Police spokesperson and former TV journalist McIntosh Polela has been on our screens for many years. But behind his seemingly unfazed demeanour a troubled past haunts him. His parents disappeared when he was a little boy, leaving him and his sister Zinhle to suffer years of brutal abuse.
When the truth of his parents’ disappearance is revealed, the teenage McIntosh makes a fully functioning gun from found objects which he keeps for the day when he finds his father. He knows that he must come face to face with the man who robbed him of his childhood.
McIntosh has to confront his father about his mother’s brutal death. How can he possibly forgive, when his father remains a remorseless, brutal and heartless monster?
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by Amy on May 3rd, 2012
Congratulations to Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin who have won the 2012 Crystal Kite Member Choice Award (Africa region) for their book Finding Aunt Joan:
Finding Aunt Joan describes the drive with family (plus dog and mouse) crammed inside the car. Hugely amusing and perhaps the best of the three. Jenny Hatton’s text is simple, direct, easy to digest – ideal inspiration for some of Joan Rankin’s friendliest, most frantic set of illustrations. A delight for early readers.
The Lucy Books consist of three charming little square books which make a sort of sequence – the process of packing up one home, moving to the next, and enjoying life when you get there. Children will easily relate to the stories which reflect true to life events such as going on a journey, moving house and a visit to the beach. The rhythmic text of the Lucy books will help build children’s reading skills and confidence while they are absorbed by the humorous illustrations depicting Lucy and her family.
Full list of Crystal Kite Member Choice Awards 2012 Winners
Africa: Finding Aunt Joan: Jenny Hatton and Joan Rankin, Jacana Media
Australia: The Last Viking: Norman Jorgensen, Fremantle Press
California/Hawaii: Won Ton – A Cat Tale Told in Haiku: Lee Wardlaw, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
Flordia/GA: Cleopatra’s Moon: Vicky Alvear Shecter, Arthur A Levine Books (Scholastic Press)
Kansas/LA: Between Shades of Gray: Ruta Sepetys, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Middle East/Asia: Orchards: Holly Thompson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)
Minnesota/Iowa: Bluefish: Pat Schmatz, Candlewick Press
Nevada: Black & White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor: Larry Brimner, Boyds Mills Press
New England: Pearl: Jo Knowles, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers Thelonious Mouse, Orel Protopopescu, Farrar, Straus & Giroux
PA/DE/NJ: The Absolute Value of Mike: Kathryn Erskine, Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)
Texas/OK: MINE! Patrice Barton, Random House Children’s Books
Americas: Witchlanders: Lena Coakley, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster)
UK/Europe: Dark Parties: Sara Grant, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group USA)
Washington: The Friendship Doll: Kirby Larson, Delacorte Dell (Random House)
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by Amy on May 2nd, 2012
Stephanie Nieuwoudt spoke to Ashraf Kagee to find out more about his novel Khalil’s Journey, which recently won the 2011/12 European Union Literary Award. Kagee tells her that Khalil’s Journey is the story of “one man’s journey through the 20th century in which he experiences the two world wars, the Depression, the rock ’n’ roll era, the Soweto riots, the Information Scandal and the rise in terrorism”:
Professor Ashraf Kagee, from the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University, is a highly esteemed researcher. But now he can add another feather to his cap – that of award-winning literary author.
Kagee won the 7th European Union Literary Award for non-published fiction for his novel, Khalil’s Journey (Jacana).
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by Amy on Apr 25th, 2012
South African Writer Denis Hirson’s first novel The Dancing and the Death on Lemon Street has been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize 2012.
The Dancing and the Death on Lemon Street is set in the 1960s in South Africa. It is a beautifully crafted, musical story, which is as much about seeing how people lived at that time as it is about desire, loneliness and the desperate, blind need for revenge.
Writers from around the world have been shortlisted for the prize in anticipation of becoming a regional winner on 22 May and ultimately competing for overall winner which will be announced at Hay Festival on 8 June. A regional winner for each prize will be awarded in five regions: Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, Caribbean, and the Pacific.
Past winners in the African Region include South African writer Mandla Langa’s The Lost Colours of the Chameleon (2009), The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna from Sierra Leone (2011) and the highly commended Happiness is a Four-letter Word by South African writer Cynthia Jele (2011).
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by Amy on Oct 26th, 2011
The inaugural Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology honours the spirit of the legendary intellectual giant, Sol Plaatje, the activist, linguist and translator, novelist, journalist and leader.
This sparkling array of contributions from poets around the country will resonate with those who live in this country and those who love it from afar. As Plaatje observed the Boer War, translated Shakespeare, reflected on “Native Life” and played with proverbs, so the poems in this anthology bring the depth and breadth of life in South Africa to a wider audience.
Personal themes of identity, isolation and and intimacy are pitted against the politics of property and personhood, loss and love. Family and music, traffic and weather, bodies and buildings form the backdrop for the particular and familiar of South African life. Individual voices in a range of languages bear witness to all that is gruesome, glorious and gleeful. There is hope for a country when its poets pay attention.
Poets featured in the book include:
AFRIKAANS
Soekers — Martha Pretoors
Verlore Beeltenis — Martha Pretoors
ENGLISH
After Battiss — Gillian Rennie
Anatomy — Gail Dendy
Eight Critical Questions — Kobus Moolman
Far Away — Tania van Schalkwyk
Has your Dad got a bird yet? — Beverly Holm-Rycroft
His Explanations — Kobus Moolman
In the Balance — Dorian Haarhoff
List of Sound Effects — Kobus Moolman
Miracle — Dawn Garisch
My Ma se Blues — Sadiq Khahn
She Imagines — Luisa Soares
With her Feet on the Ground — Gail Dendy
ISIXHOSA
Lovuka Lelisiko — Bhekani Thabede
SEPEDI
Ga gese mekgotheng — Puleng Nkomo
SETSWANA
Ba lebetse batlhoki — Kea Modimoeng
About the award
The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award 2011 jury comprised distinguished South African poets Vonani Bila, Charl-Pierre Naudé, Robert Berold and Liesl Jobson. The jury deliberated on the entries and sent a shortlist to the country’s Poet Laureate, Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile, who decided upon the winner.
This year’s Sol Plaatje Award went to Dawn Garisch for her poem “Miracle” as announced at the Poetry Africa festival in Durban on 20 October. The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award is supported by the European Union.
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by Amy on Oct 21st, 2011
Dawn Garisch has won the inaugural Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award for her poem “Miracle” as announced at Durban’s Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre yesterday evening. The awards ceremony, part of this year’s Poetry Africa International Festival, co-incided with the launch of the Sol Plaatje European Union Anthology 2011, a collection of the poems submitted for the competition.
Liesl Jobson, editor of the anthology, and one of the judges tasked with selecting the finalists for the first-ever Jacana Literary Foundation (JLF) Award, said of the task: “It’s a risk to write poetry, but it’s also a risk to judge it.” Joining Jobson on a star-studded judging panel were Robert Berold, Charl-Pierre Naude, Vonani Bila and South Africa’s poet laureate, Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile.
Jobson urged her audience to consider Niyi Osundare’s injunction: “We’ve got a lot of work to do in Africa. The world doesn’t listen to silence – it’s your duty to get your work out there – for money, and for presence.”
Stressing that South Africa needs poetry activism, Jobson explained that each participant has been given a free copy of the book and asked to donate it to his/her local library, as a way of making aspirant poets aware of the opportunities that exist for them to get published.
Each of the four finalists then read their entries: Kea’ Modimoeng, “Ba lebetse batlhoki” (“They have forgotten the poor”); Bev Rycroft, ‘Has your Dad got a bird yet’; Dawn Garisch, “Miracle”; and Martha Pretoors, “Verlore Beeltenis” (“Lost Picture”).
The launch, held on the theatre’s Wellington Tavern Deck, flowed into the evening’s main event where Professor Kgositsile thanked Jobson for “doing the donkey work” in selecting the longlist and compiling an anthology that “reflects the collective creativity of South Africa”.
Frank Oberholzer, speaking on behalf of EU Ambassador Rudolph van Geer, thanked Jacana for making tangible this worthwhile initiative. He noted that strength of culture and a drive for development are intertwined, saying that the EU supports the poetry competition as a form of social engagement. Oberholzer also expressed his delighted at being able to honour South African intellectual giant, Sol Plaatje, as well as the sparkling array of diverse voices in the anthology.
While Garisch took top honours, not far behind her was fellow Modjaji poet, Bev Rycroft, who took second prize. Kea’ Modimoeng and Martha Pretoors were jointly awarded third prize. Garisch concluded the event with a reading of “Miracle”, a poem about infidelity.
Press Release
The Jacana Literary Foundation is pleased to announce the winner of the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award 2011. Dawn Garisch accepted the honour for her poem ‘Miracle’ at a prize-giving ceremony at the Poetry Africa festival in Durban. Second place went to Beverly Rycroft for her entry ‘Has your Dad got a bird yet?’. Third place was jointly awarded to Kea’ Modimoeng for ‘Be lebetse batlhoki’ (‘They have forgotten the poor’) and Martha Pretoors for ‘Verlore beeltenis’ (‘Lost picture’). The jury comprised distinguished South African poets Vonani Bila, Charl-Pierre Naudé, Robert Berold and Liesl Jobson. The jury deliberated on the entries and sent a shortlist to the country’s Poet Laureate, Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile, who decided upon the winner.
All of the winning poems, as well as a selection of poetry entered for the competition, has been published to coincide with the Award ceremony.
About the anthology: The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Anthology 2011 honours the spirit of the legendary intellectual giant, Sol Plaatje, the activist, linguist and translator, novelist, journalist and leader. This sparkling array of contributions from poets around the country will resonate with those who live in this country and those who love it from afar. Wicked and beautiful as ever it was while Plaatje observed the Boer War, translated Shakespeare, reflected on “Native Life” and played with proverbs, so the poems in this anthology bring the depth and breadth of life in South Africa to a wider audience. Personal themes of identity, isolation and intimacy are pitted against the politics property and personhood, loss and love. Family and music, traffic and weather, bodies and buildings form the backdrop for the particular and familiar of South African life. Individual voices in a range of languages bear witness to all that is gruesome, glorious and gleeful. There is hope for a country when its poets pay attention.
Ends
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Liesl Jobson also tweeted the announcement of the winners:
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by Amy on Sep 13th, 2011
The Jacana Literary Foundation is pleased to announce the shortlist and finalists for the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award 2011. The jury comprised distinguished South African poets Vonani Bila, Charl-Pierre Naudé, Robert Berold and Liesl Jobson. The jury deliberated on the entries and sent a shortlist to the country’s Poet Laureate, Professor Keorapetse Kgositsile, who will decide upon the winner.
Four finalists have been chosen and will be invited to attend the Poetry Africa festival in Durban in October 2011, and the winners will be announced by a European Union representative. A cash prize will be awarded. In the spirit of Sol Plaatje, an anthology of the best poems will be launched at Poetry Africa on 20 October, 2011.
The Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award is supported by the European Union.
Finalists (in alphabetical order, by title):
Ba lebetse batlhoki – Kea’ Modimoeng (Setswana)
Has your Dad got a bird yet? — Beverly Holm Rycroft (English)
Miracle — Dawn Garisch (English)
Verlore Beeltenis — Martha Pretoors (Afrikaans)
Shortlist:
AFRIKAANS
Soekers — Martha Pretoors
Verlore Beeltenis — Martha Pretoors
ENGLISH
After Battiss — Gillian Rennie
Anatomy — Gail Dendy
Eight Critical Questions — Kobus Moolman
Far Away — Tania van Schalkwyk
Has your Dad got a bird yet? – Beverly Holm Rycroft
His Explanations — Kobus Moolman
In the Balance – Dorian Haarhoff
List of Sound Effects — Kobus Moolman
Miracle — Dawn Garisch
My Ma se Blues — Saddiq Khan
She Imagines — Luisa Soares
With her Feet on the Ground — Gail Dendy
ISIXHOSA
Lovuka Lelosiko – Bhekani Thabede
SEPEDI
Ga gešo mekgotheng — Puleng Nkomo
SETSWANA
Ba lebetse batlhoki — Kea’ Modimoeng
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by Amy on Aug 11th, 2011
Join Jacana and The Book Lounge as we celebrate Ronnie Kasrils winning the prestigious Sunday Times Alan Paton Award for his memoir, The Unlikely Secret Agent. The author will be in discussion with Minister Trevor Manuel, head of the National Planning Commission. Please note the unusual starting time.
See you there!
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by Amy on Jun 29th, 2011
On Saturday, 25 June 2011, former Minister of Intelligence, Ronnie Kasrils, emerged as the country’s new Sunday Times Alan Paton Award winner, for which he received R75 000. This literary award is given annually to an outstanding non-fiction title.
Ronnie Kasrils was honoured with the 22nd prestiguous Alan Patan Award for The Unlikely Secret Agent, a memoir based on the life of his late wife, Eleanor Kasrils, who was a leading figure in the anti-apartheid struggle.
Dr Xolela Mangcu, chairman of this year’s Alan Paton Award judging panel praised Kasrils and had the following to say about his accomplishment: “The Unlikely Secret Agent is a moving testimony and a wonderful tribute to a courageous woman – a white woman of privilege – who chose to listen to her conscience under the most trying of circumstances. We as judges were moved by Kasrils’s touchingly told story.”
When asked what he hoped readers would take from Eleanor’s story, Kasrils replied: “The Unlikely Secret Agent is a testament and a tribute to Eleanor and that is what drove me to write this book. I wanted people to realise who she was and what she had done. I also wanted South Africans to realise what our people are like and how the ordinary, average person has within themselves the most amazing qualities. People should understand that Eleanor symbolises what thousands of people did in both big and small ways for a just cause.”
Kasrils was born in 1938 and educated in Johannesburg at King Edward VII School. Prompted by the Sharpeville massacre, he joined the ANC in 1960. He became a member of Umkhonto we Sizwe at its inception in 1961 and participated in many sabotage operations, some of which were with Eleanor. Pursued by the police, the couple fled into exile in 1963 after Eleanor’s daring escape from detention. Exiled for 27 years, Kasrils worked underground from the ANC in South Africa during Operation Vula as he tried to smuggle freedom fighters into the country.
Kasrils wrote the book soon after his wife died in 2009. “After the initial grieving of Eleanor’s death, I felt like I had to write her story and I wrote it in three months during the awful Cape winter, where I was in this house of our dreams on my own, with the South-Easter and the grey skies,” says Kasrils.
“So I just wrote it, feeling like Tchaikovsky or something – demented with this composition. It was a fantastic story to write and it made me feel so close to Eleanor.”
Jacana Media are delighted that Ronnie Kasrils’s heartfelt story of a courageous and resourceful South African woman – one of the many ordinary, unsung heroines of the struggle against apartheid – has won the Alan Paton Award.
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