Alert! The finalists for the 2015 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award – previously the European Union Literary Award – have been announced by the Jacana Literary Foundation (JLF).
The award, which is open to “unpublished English-language manuscripts by debut writers” and comes with R35 000 prize money, is in its 10th year. This year, the first runner-up will also receive a writing bursary to the value of R25 000, in memory of Gerald Kraak, who won the award in 2005 and was involved with the JLF until his death in 2014. Top South African fiction editor Alison Lowry will edit the runner-up manuscript, as well as give the writer some valuable coaching.
Maureen Isaacson, Fred Khumalo and Pamela Nicols (head judge) made up the inaugural Dinaane Award judging panel. 31 manuscripts were eligible for the prize, which the judges whittled down to a list of four finalists.
The panel said: “The standard of the 31 manuscripts opened a window on current fresh expressions of the South African experience – sometimes the debut novels attempting to adhere to classic literary forms; sometimes boasting bold experimentations with form and dialogue, opening a window onto new rhythms; a brave new mode of writing, in many instances, without any apparent desire to conform – rather an expression of what really is going on beneath the surface of our lives.”
Sadly, one of the shortlisted writers, Tiisetso Makube, passed away in February, at just 35. The JLF and the judges – as well as Books LIVE – express sadness at the loss of this literary talent and extend heartfelt sympathy to his family and loved ones.
The 2015 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award finalists:
Mia Ardene, for Last Gangster of the Old School
Mark de Wet, for The Forgotten
Tiisetso Makube, for Doctor Don’t Weep
Andrew Miller, for Dub Steps
The following manuscripts are in turn highly commended:
Gail Dendy, for Rina
Jason John Le Grange, for Wolseley
Ollie Madlala, for The Journey
Trevor Sacks, for Lucky Packet
The winner will be announced at a ceremony at Wits University on Tuesday, 5 May.
About the finalists
Andrew Miller
Andrew Miller is a Johannesburg based freelance writer and poet. He has worked extensively in the city arts scene over the last decade. Specifically, he has worked with a wide range of emerging artists to develop their careers. He has worked extensively as a commercial writer, specialising in the ghost writing of corporate narratives. Andrew is also a public speaker and performance poet, and has appeared on many stages across Gauteng, from business schools to the Daily Maverick Gatherings, where he discusses ideas such as urban culture, disability, death and the challenges of being South African.
Mia Ardene
Mia Arderne is a fiction writer from Cape Town. She has just completed her Masters in English Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town, which she passed with distinction. She has had three short stories published in the last two years. Her short stories form part of the following anthologies: AfroSF edited and compiled by Ivor Hartmann, The Ghost-Eater and Other Stories published by Umuzi, and Ravens Moot published by Fox & Raven. Her subject matter interfaces the criminal and the magical with a distinctly Capetonian focus.
Mark de Wet
Mark de Wet was born in South Africa near Pretoria. After school he attended university and then decided to attend the ‘The University of Life’ and travel abroad for a few years. On his return to South Africa, he owned various businesses with varying degrees of success. Having a passion for the written word, he continued writing poetry and prose, and on diagnosis of Acute Bipolar Depression, focused on his writings to assist in healing himself.
Tiisetso Makube
Tiisetso Makube was a South African freelance journalist whose work has appeared in such publications as the Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times, City Press, Sowetan, among others. He was also a short story writer and budding poet whose work has been published in literary journals and anthologies. Tiisetso Makube unfortunately passed away on Wednesday 18 February, 2015.
Previous winners
The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself by Penny Busetto (2013)
Khalil’s Journey by Ashraf Kagee (2011/12)
Deeper than Colour by James Clelland (2010)
Saracen at the Gates by Zinaid Meeran (2009)
Till We Can Keep an Animal by Megan Voysey-Braig (2008)
Coconut by Kopano Matlwa (2007)
Bitches’ Brew by Fred Khumalo and Ice in the Lungs by Gerald Kraak (2005)
The Silent Minaret by Ishtiyaq Shukri (2004)
Press release
List of finalist and highly commended manuscripts for the Dinaane Debut Fiction Award revealed!
The Jacana Literary Foundation is delighted to announce the lists of highly commended and finalist writers for the inaugural Dinaane Debut Fiction Award. The Dinaane* replaces the European Union Literary Award and as before celebrates an outstanding fiction manuscript from a debut writer. The winning manuscript is published by Jacana Media and the winner awarded a R35 000 cash prize. The Dinaane is supported by Exclusive Books’ Homebru campaign, and the winner will be announced on Tuesday 5 May at the Writing Centre at Wits University – and book revealed and immediately on sale!
This year, the first runner-up will also receive a significant prize: a writing bursary to the value of R25 000, in memory of Gerald Kraak, who was instrumental in the successful running of the Jacana Literary Foundation until his passing away in 2014. One of South Africa’s top editors of fiction, Alison Lowry, will edit the manuscript and thoroughly coach the runner-up writer.
The inaugural Dinaane was judged by a panel of three judges: Maureen Isaacson, Fred Khumalo and head judge Pamela Nicols. Thirty-one manuscripts were eligible for the prize, and the judges stressed the variety of the entries received, which gave them a privileged insight into South African society and how people conceive the contemporary: “The standard of the thirty-one manuscripts opened a window on current fresh expressions of the South African experience – sometimes the debut novels attempting to adhere to classic literary forms; sometimes boasting bold experimentations with form and dialogue, opening a window onto new rhythms; a brave new mode of writing, in many instances, without any apparent desire to conform – rather an expression of what really is going on beneath the surface of our lives.”
*The word ‘dinaane’ in Setswana means ‘telling our stories to one another’.
While celebrating this wonderful diversity of expression and creativity, the Foundation and the judges also want to express their great sadness at hearing of the untimely passing of one of the short-listed writers, Tiisetso Makube, only a few weeks ago. Tiisetso’s death is a great loss to journalism and letters in South Africa, and as we recognise his talent we extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and loved ones.
Ends
Book details
- The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself by Penny Busetto
EAN: 9781431410163
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- Khalil’s Journey: - by Ashraf Kagee
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EAN: 9781431403622
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- Deeper Than Colour by James Clelland
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EAN: 9781770099258
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- Saracen at the Gates by Zinaid Meeran
EAN: 9781770097704
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- Till We Can Keep An Animal by Megan Voysey-Braig
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EAN: 9781770096394
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- Coconut by Kopano Matlwa
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EAN: 9781770093362
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- Bitches’ Brew by Fred Khumalo
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EAN: 9781770091900
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- Ice in the Lungs by Gerald Kraak
EAN: 9781770092280
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- The Silent Minaret by Ishtiyaq Shukri
EAN: 9781770092495
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