The wRite associates, in partnership with the Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), invites South African writers to submit their work for the South African Literary Awards (SALA).

In their 13th year of existence, SALA has added two more categories, the Novel Award and Children’s Literature Award.

Submissions opening date: 16 March 2018
Submissions closing date: 31 May 2018

• Download nomination form

The overall categories are as follows:

• First-time Published Author Award
• K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award
• Poetry Award
• Nadine Gordimer Short story Award
• Creative Non-fiction Literary Award
• Literary Translators Award
• Literary Journalism Award
• Posthumous Literary Award
• Lifetime Achievement Literary Award
• Novel Award
• Children’s Literature Award

The National Poet Laureate Prize (the 12th category)

Following the untimely passing of the second National Poet Laureate, Professor Keorapetse Willy Kgositsile, who succeeded the inaugural Poet Laureate the late Professor Mazisi Kunene in 2006, the South African Literary Awards will announce the third National Poet Laureate at the 13th SA Literary Awards ceremony on the 7 November 2018. This category is not open for public nominations.

About the South African Literary Awards

The main aim of the South African Literary Awards is to pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as groundbreaking producers and creators of literature, while it celebrates literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa’s histories, value systems and philosophies and art as inscribed and preserved in all eleven official languages of South Africa. The awards have become the most prestigious and respected literary accolades in South African literature.

Selections are made from published authors whose primary input is in imaginative writing – fiction as well as creative non fiction. The work must demonstrate good linguistic presentation, the nation’s identity, societal values, universal truths, and cultural aesthetics. It must also contribute to social cohesion, nation building and transcendence of time. Since its inception in 2005 SALA has honoured one-hundred-and-eighty two (182) recipients.

Submission’s General Rules

Submissions must follow the following criteria.

1. The work must be the author’s original work unless in Literary Translators Award where it can be another’s author’s work translated to another language.
2. Work entered for SALA must be in a South African official language.
3. All categories in SALA accept work in all South African official languages.
4. Each entry must be written in at least one official language. SALA doesn’t accept multiple language entries; excerpt under Literary Translators Award, whereby the entered work will be in the benefiting language while the original in another language.
5. Five (5) copies of each entry must be submitted. (Each copy must be accompanied by a nomination form).
6. An entry can only be made for one category. Should an entry be submitted for more than one category it will be disqualified.
7. All submitted entries, whether successful or not, will not be returned to the submitting party.
8. Work that previously won a SALA award cannot be entered for another category in another year; as well as work which was previously unsuccessful.
9. Set books are not accepted.
10. SALA accepts no entry through email or fax
11. Nominations must be endorsed by the Author or Publisher.
12. Authors’ and Nominator’s full details must be clear on the Nomination Form.
13. Late submissions will not be accepted.
14. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

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Categories and criteria

1. First-time Published Author Award

• The award is open to all genres
• The author must not have published before in any genre
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

2. K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award

• The award is open to novels and novellas only
• Only writers aged 40 and below are eligible to enter
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted

3. Poetry Award

• Only collections by an individual author will be considered. Anthologies are not accepted
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

4. Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award

• Only short story collections by one author will be considered.
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

5. Creative Non-fiction Award

• The award is open to creative non-fiction works, i.e. Biographies/Autobiographies, Letters, Speeches and Memoirs
• In the case of Letters and Speeches, only a collection of work published by one author will be accepted
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

6. Literary Translators Award

• Only literary works translated by a South African on South African works of art will be considered
• All literary genres are considered.
• Both the original and translated copies must be submitted
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

7. Literary Journalism Award

• The entrant must have made a significant contribution to the promotion and development of South African literature through writing, commentating, advocating and critiquing
• The award includes print and electronic media
• A sample of the author’s work must be submitted. This can include videos, articles, podcasts and any other evidence of work.
• No age restriction

8. Posthumous Literary Award

• The author will be judged on his/her overall literary achievement
• The profile of the author and at least three (3) books (different titles by the author) must be submitted with the entry (please note 5 of each title should be submitted)
• No age restrictions

9. Lifetime Achievement Literary Award

• The author must be 60 years old or above
• The author will be judged on his/her overall literary achievement
• A profile of the author and at least three (3) books (different titles by the author) must be submitted with the entry (please note 5 of each title should be submitted)

10. Novel Award

• Only fiction work will be considered
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted
• No age restriction

11. Children’s Literature Award

• Only adult authors will be accepted
• Only fiction work will be accepted
• Only works published in 2016 and 2017 will be accepted

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Submission information

Nomination Forms:

Download Nomination Forms on www.sala.org.za or www.writeassociates.co.za

Submissions must be sent to:

The South African Literary Awards
74 Mimosa Road, Randpark Ridge, 2125
P.O. Box 1465, Randpark Ridge, 2156

For enquiries:

060 509 5857
info@writeassociates.co.za

Important information:

• The nominees will be announced on the 28 September 2018
• The winners will be announced on the 7 November 2018

Categories Fiction Non-fiction South Africa

Tags Department of Arts and Culture South African Literary Awards wRite associates