Small Moving Parts by Sally-Ann Murrary, one of our KwaZulu-Natal authors, has been short-listed for the Via Afrika Herman Charles Bosman Prize. The fellow nominees are Yvette Christianse's Imprendehora and Maya Fowler's The Elephant in the Room. The final announcement will be made during this year's Cape Town Book Fair.
The book has also been shortlisted for the University of Johannesburg Prize. The prize has two categories, Main (R60 000) and Debut (R20 000). While Small Moving Partsis a debut novel, it has been upgraded to eligibility for the main prize.
Small Moving Parts is in the running with Mark Behr – Kings of the Water and Imraan Coovadia – High Low In-between,another KwaZulu-Natal writer.
The winner will be announced in May 2010.
The debut entries are:
- Kevin Bloom – Ways of Staying
- Jacob Dlamini – Native Nostalgia
- Zinaid Meeran – Saracen at the Gates
- Alastair Morgan – Sleeper's Wake
Small Moving Parts has been getting some excellent media coverage. The latest review was in the Cape Times, where Fiona Zerbst wrote "Murray is. . .one of those writers who turns dross into gold. . . Murray sutures what is torn and creates a patchwork narrative that is profoundly South African. A big, post-modern triumph of a book."