Latest news with #SouthAfricanLiteraryAwards
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
The literary girlhood we need: awards celebrate young women authors during Women's Month
As the South African Literary Awards (Sala) mark two decades of honouring literary excellence, in Women's Month they turn the spotlight on women authors, especially the young, who are telling stories and shaping a literary future rooted in identity, resistance and renewal. By recognising voices who have emerged through poetry, prose, essays and indigenous language storytelling, Sala asserts that literary spaces must reflect the full spectrum of South African womanhood and girlhood. From school journals to book festivals, young women are finding ways to document their world, defying stereotypes and forging new possibilities for African narratives. 'Sala's commitment to literary excellence has always included elevating women and the youth, not as symbolic gestures, but as essential architects and vessels of South Africa's narrative,' said Prof Zodwa Motsa, chairperson of the Sala advisory board. 'This Women's Month we honour the literary womanhood whose voice is unapologetic, creative, courageous and future-focused. The stories of young women are not marginal; they are the marrow of our national imagination.' Among those previously recognised is Lebogang Masango, whose work in children's literature and poetry has inspired a new generation of feminist thinkers and readers, and Deidré Jantjies, a cultural activist passionate about the historical stories of women. She is the author of the illustrated children's book Stories in die Wind (2022) written in Nama and Afrikaans. Terry Ann Adams' first story in White Chalk, Rock a Bye, Baby, was her attempt to make sense of one of her worst memories, followed by The Ouens, a story based on the collective memory of boyhood and the painful collective memory of Nathaniel Julies. Tshepiso Makgoloane, the 25-year-old multi-award-winning poet and writer from Limpopo's Motetema township, said she never thought Tša Ma Africa would take her so far when it started as an e-book. The motivational speaker and editor of Sepedi poetry books promised her followers more for the future and encouraged the youth to empower themselves through reading and acquire as much knowledge as possible. Anelisa Thengimfene, who won the 2023 Poetry Award for her isiXhosa collection Amajingiqhiw' entlalo (The Ups and Downs of Life), continues to inspire through her dual role as a writer and lecturer at Sants Private Higher Institution. Her writing reflects the lived experiences of many South African women, blending resilience and reflection. Also honoured is Fhulufhelo Ntsieni, a 25-year-old poet and the youngest winner at the 2024 South African Literary Awards, recognised in the Poetry category for Rudzani. Her work contributes to the evolving landscape of South African poetry, rooted in memory, language and identity. Over the years, categories such as Youth Literature, First-time Published Author, Poetry and Creative Non-Fiction have become critical entry points for emerging women authors. The categories have nurtured talents whose books are now studied in classrooms, circulated through book clubs and cited in academic discourse. As part of its 20th anniversary campaign, Sala is calling on the public to actively support authors by reading their books, sharing their stories and following their journeys online. Institutions are encouraged to invest in youth-led publishing initiatives and to bridge the access gap faced by women under 35 in literature. During August Sala is inviting South Africans to celebrate Women's Month not only in tribute, but in action by buying books and honouring the young women whose pens are documenting our hopes, struggles and histories. 'The process of writing a children's story book is incredibly fun. It is something I always wanted to do. Children's books are very exciting objects, and it was incredibly fulfilling', said Lebohang Masango, who won a Sala Children's Literature Award in 2019. Alongside her academic pursuits, she aspires to release two new children's books, further securing her identity as a leading voice in literature. 'I want to be counted among the voices who told the truth and preserved it,' she said. For aspiring writers, Masango shared invaluable advice: 'Read more than you write' and 'Start a blog'. She emphasised the importance of reading as a method to explore diverse styles and genres while encouraging writers to cultivate their unique voices without reliance on artificial intelligence. As we prepare for the upcoming Africa Century International African Writers Conference (#ACIAWC2025), the presence and perspectives of young women remain central to shaping the literary conversations ahead, said Motsa.
The Citizen
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
SA Literary Awards extend submission date, calls for more submissions in indigenous languages
The extension is to give authors and nominators who may not have been aware or failed to beat the first deadline another chance to submit. Despite a fair rate of submissions from English and Afrikaans literature, the South African Literary Awards (Sala) have extended the submission date, encouraging work in indigenous languages to be submitted. 'It has been our experience in the past years that we attract small numbers of work written in indigenous languages than in Afrikaans and English,' Sala executive director, Morakabe Raks Seakhoa tells The Citizen. The original submission date was 8 May, and authors have been given until 9 June to submit their works so they can be recognised for this year's edition of the awards. Seakhoa says the extension is to give authors and nominators who may not have been aware or failed to beat the first deadline another chance to submit. Founded by the wRite associates, in partnership with the then national Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) in 2005, the main aim of Sala is to pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as groundbreaking producers and creators of literature. Sala celebrates literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa's histories, value systems, and philosophies, as well as art inscribed and preserved in all the languages of South Africa, particularly the official languages. ALSO READ: South African literature celebrated at 19th Literary Awards Indigenous work Seakhoa says there may be various reasons why authors of indigenous works haven't submitted their work for consideration at this year's awards. 'The reasons may be many,' he says as he shares some insight. 'Inadequate resourcing of writing in these languages; the misguided notion among some writers that their work stands a better chance of reaching wider markets,' shares the Executive Director. This year marks 20 years of Sala. 'We are planning a special occasion for Sala when [it] celebrates 20 years, as that'll be marking a coming of age for this prestigious Awards scheme. For this year, considerations are being entertained, including increasing the number of Lifetime Achievement Literary Award category celebrants.' The ceremony is expected to be held in November this year. ALSO READ: A spy's story – David Africa's book 'Lives On The Line' thrills Sala's 20-year journey When the literary awards were established, there was only one award, the South African National Poet Laureate Prize. Sala now has 16 categories, which range from the Children's Literature Award to the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award. According to Seakhoa, some of the most hotly contested categories are the Regional and National Poets Laureate Prize, followed by the Novel, First-time Published Author and Creative Non-Fiction Literary categories. 'There have been a number of calls to include, expand, realign, reconfigure and rename other categories, so these will certainly be considered for the coming years, as well as working very hard to attract more financial support to increase awardees' cash prizes,' shares Seakhoa. The cash prizes for all categories are R30 000, except for the National and Regional Poets Laureate, who receive R100 000 and R50 000 respectively. Last year's Sala coincided with the 12th Africa Century International African Writers Conference, which celebrates the 33rd International African Writers' Day and 30 years of South Africa's democracy. In 1991, the Conference of African Ministers of Education and Culture in Cotonou, Benin, voted to designate November 7th as International African Writers' Day, which is currently observed across the continent. NOW READ: 'It cannot carry on as things have been' – Gayton McKenzie as he cuts funding for Downtown Music Hub
