Celebrating literary excellence, a total of ten books were shortlisted for the Alan Paton Award and the Sunday Times Fiction Prize at the 2013 Sunday Times Literary Awards in association with CNA this weekend. Held at Le Coq restaurant in Franschhoek, the prestigious event was attended by prominent literary figures and books lovers alike.
The shortlisted books for the Alan Paton Award for non-fiction are:
The Last Afrikaner Leaders by Hermann Giliomee (published by Tafelberg)
Biko: A Biography by Xolela Mangcu (published by Tafelberg)
Rat Roads by Jacques Pauw (published by Zebra Press)
Killing for Profit by Julian Rademeyer (published by Zebra Press)
Endings & Beginnings by Redi Thlabi (published by Jacana Media)
The shortlisted books for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize are:
The Institute for Taxi Poetry by Imraan Coovadia (published by Umuzi)
For the Mercy of Water by Karen Jayes (published by Penguin Books SA)
Entanglement by Steven Boykey Sidley (published by Picador Africa)
The Unlikely Genius of Dr Cuthbert Kamazuma by Chris Wadman (published by Jonathan Ball)
The Book of War by James Whyle (published by Jacana Media)
"As always, choosing a shortlist was not an easy process but the judges have chosen the ten books that they feel most deserve to be recognised as the strongest contenders for this year's prizes. The shortlists this year acknowledge the work of South African authors from a diverse group of backgrounds, working in a variety of fields and who have produced outstanding work that does the country proud. The books both entertain and informs their readers,” commented Tymon Smith, Sunday Times books editor.
Prishani Naidoo, activist, writer and lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the University of the Witwatersrand, chaired this year’s Alan Paton Award judging panel. She had this to say: “This year’s judging process again revealed the wide range and diversity of issues that ignite the passions of South African writers of non-fiction today. While Apartheid continued to provide the context for a number of the books on the long list, this year’s short list provides us with fresh perspectives on old histories or new knowledge on issues that currently confront us in South Africa.”
Sarah Nuttall, chairperson of the Sunday Times Fiction Prize judging panel, and professor of Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, also acknowledged the diversity of writing that is emerging from South Africa: “The long list revealed a range of writing from crime writing, historical novels, dystopian fictions, dark and unsettling satire, ‘chicklit’ and experimental, inventive, ideas-driven prose. It is a vigorous and rich output that wasn’t there ten years ago. The quality of the editing has also substantially improved since then.”
In conclusion Smith added: “The awards will continue to be the foremost awards for literary achievement in South Africa. We wish all the shortlisted authors the very best of luck for the final announcement and thank the judges for their hours of hard work and dedication in choosing this year's shortlists.”
The overall winners of both awards will be announced on the evening of 29 June in Johannesburg.