The shortlists for the Via Afrika literary awards – Naspers‘ in-house awards for its Via Afrika group of publishers, which include NB, Jonathan Ball, LuxVerbi-BM, Nasou Via Afrika and Van Schaik – have been announced, in the usual peacock-tailfeather spread of categories.
The shortlists comprise three titles for each of five prizes. The winning authors receive R30 000, except in the “illustrated children’s category”, where author and illustrator each receive R15 000. The winners will be announced at a joint function with the MNet Literary Awards on Sunday, 17 June 2007. (The event isn’t part of the official Cape Town Book Fair programme, but certainly adds to the ferment of that weekend!)
Herewith the shortlisted candidates, in alphabetical order:
W.A. Hofmeyr prize for Afrikaans literature across all genres
- Die boek van toeval en toeverlaat – Ingrid Winterbach (Human & Rousseau)
- Horrelpoot – Eben Venter (Tafelberg)
- Memorandum – Marlene van Niekerk (Human & Rousseau)
Herman Charles Bosman prize for English creative writing and autobiography
- All We Have Left Unsaid – Maxine Case (Kwela)
- Room 207 – Kgebetli Moele (Kwela)
- What Kind of Child – Ken Barris (Kwela)
Recht Malan prize for best English or Afrikaans nonfiction
- Are You With Us? – Mxolisi Mgxashe (Tafelberg)
- Beautiful Ugly – Sarah Nuttall (ed.) (Kwela)
- Die groot avontuur – Leon Rousseau (Human & Rousseau)
M.E.R. prize for children’s illustrated books
- Die avonture van Magrietjie Swaaiboude – Marianna Brandt, with Tanja Joubert as illustrator (Human & Rousseau)
- Die avonture van Wilde Willemientjie – Riana Scheepers, with Vian Oelofse as illustrator (Tafelberg)
- Geraamte in die klas – Fanie Viljoen, with Karl Stephan as illustrator (Human & Rousseau)
M.E.R. prize for youth novels
- Die Altaar van Aberdare / The Altar of Aberdare – Chrystal Pickard (Human & Rousseau)
- Praise Song – Jenny Robson (Tafelberg)
- SuperZero – Darrel Bristow-Bovey (Tafelberg)
