Press Release

For immediate release (05 October 2020)

SALA CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF ADVANCING OUR LITERARY HERITAGE: THE 2020 SHORTLIST IS ANNOUNCED.

Celebrating 15 years of growth and exhilarating success, the South African Literary Awards (SALA), announces the 2020 shortlist of nominees today.
The list of nominees reflects the transformative nature not only of SALA, but the country’s literary community. The potpourri nature of the country provides a canvas on which writers manage to paint beautiful pictures without needing to look over their shoulders.
The winners will be announced at a celebratory awards ceremony to be held virtually on 7th November 2020, the International African Writers’Day.
The prestigious South African Literary Awards were founded in 2005 by the wRite associates, in partnership with the national Department of Arts and Culture, as a platform to honour authors, translators, poets and other literary practitioners who made and continue to make a contribution in the South African literary landscape.
More than a two hundred luminaries have been honoured over the last fourteen years, amongst them the current National Poet Laureate, Prof Mongane Wally Serote, the late Nobel Laureate, Nadine Gordimer, multi-award winning novelist Kgebetli Moele, literary journalists Phakama Mbonambi, Bongani Madondo and Sabata-Mpho Mokae, poet Kobus Moolman, book critics Karabo Kgoleng and Jenny Crwys-Williams, activist, poet and author Ambassador Lindiwe Mabuza, short story writers Makhosazana Xaba and Reneilwe Malatji, scholars and prolific writers Zakes Mda, Njabulo Ndebele, Mbulelo Mzamane, Ashraaf Kagee, Nhlanhla Maake, Imraan Coovadia, the late translator, poet, novelist and children’s writer Chris van Wyk; Lebohang Masango, also a children’s author, and many others.
SALA honours writing and writers in all official languages across fourteen categories. They are K.Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award, which is a celebration of one of the country’s most prolific authors of his generation, k. Sello Duiker. First-Time published writers are also acknowledged and honoured by the Awards. The other is the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Literary Award, honouring thespians in the genre, across all languages. In addition, there are:
1. National Poet Laureate Prize
2. Poetry Award,
3. Literary Translators Award,
4. Lifetime Achievement Literary Award,
5. Posthumous Literary Award,
6. Literary Journalism Award,
7. Creative Non-Fiction Award and,
8. Chairperson’s Award
9. Children’s Literature Award
10. Youth Literature Award
11. Novel Award

As writers are given an equal opportunity to contest any of the Awards categories, the winners over the years reflect that elevated state of South African literature, which has seen some of the local works adapted to screen- and stage-plays.