Sunday Times Literary Awards: The night in pics
Image: Alaister Russell
ICYMI: The winners of the 2022 Sunday Times Literary Awards were announced (in person, nogal) last Thursday.
The illustrious do celebrating South Africa’s pre-eminent literary awards was held at Olives & Plates, Hyde Park (an apt locale, as this restaurant borders on Exclusive Books, who are the proud partners of this year’s prize).
Emceed by journalist, broadcaster and political analyst Eusebius McKaiser, Mignonne Breier and Tshidiso Moletsane were the victors of the eve, with Breier winning the non-fiction award for Bloody Sunday: The Nun, the Defiance Campaign and South Africa’s Secret Massacre (Tafelberg), and Moletsane awarded the fiction prize for his debut novel, Junx (Umuzi).
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the non-fiction award and 21st year of the fiction prize.
The criteria for the non-fiction award stipulates the winner should demonstrate the illumination of truthfulness — especially those forms of it that are new, delicate, unfashionable and fly in the face of power — compassion, elegance of writing and intellectual and moral integrity. Chaired by Griffin Shea, joined on the panel by Nomavenda Mathiane and Bongani Ngqulunga, the five titles shortlisted for the 2022 non-fiction award were Bloody Sunday by Breier, Scatterling of Africa: My Early Years by Johnny Clegg (Pan Macmillan), The Poisoners: On South Africa’s Toxic Past by Imraan Coovadia (Umuzi), Land Matters: South Africa’s Failed Land Reforms and the Road Ahead by Tembeka Ngcukaitobi (Penguin Non-fiction) and History of South Africa: From 1902 to the Present by Thula Simpson (Penguin Non-fiction).
As for fiction? The winner should be a novel of rare imagination and style, evocative, textured and a tale so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contemporary fiction. Ekow Duker (chair), Nomboniso Gasa and Kevin Ritchie were tasked with determining the winner of this prize, with the shortlist narrowed down to The Promise by Damon Galgut (Umuzi), An Island by Karen Jennings (Karavan Press), Children of Sugarcane by Joanne Joseph (Jonathan Ball Publishers), Junx by Moletsane and All Gomorrahs are The Same by Thenjiwe Mswane (Blackbird Books).
Image: Alaister Russell
Our heartiest literary congrats to Breier and Moletsane once again.
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