Shortlists announced for 2019 Media24 book prizes

Media24 Books is proud to announce the shortlists for the 2019 Media24 book prizes. This year, prizes to the value of R210,000 in total will be awarded in six categories.

These annual awards serve to recognise the best work published during the previous year by Media24 book publishers, including NB Publishers (through imprints such as Human & Rousseau, Tafelberg, Kwela Books and Queillerie), as well as Jonathan Ball Publishers.

Independent judging panels compiled the shortlists from 80 submissions in total. The shortlists consist of three titles each - apart from the Elisabeth Eybers Poetry Prize, where two titles qualified.

The shortlists, in alphabetical order according to author, are:

Herman Charles Bosman Prize for English Fiction (novels, short stories, drama)

• The Ones with Purpose by Nozizwe Cynthia Jele (Kwela Books)
• Soweto, Under the Apricot Tree by Niq Mhlongo (Kwela Books)
• The Hum of the Sun by Kirsten Miller (Kwela Books)

Recht Malan Prize for Nonfiction

• The Last Words of Rowan du Preez by Simone Haysom (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
• Steinheist by Rob Rose (Tafelberg)
• Wit issie ’n Colour nie by Nathan Trantraal (Kwela Books)

WA Hofmeyr Prize for Afrikaans Fiction (novels, short stories, drama)

• Die Dao van Daan van der Walt by Lodewyk G. du Plessis (Tafelberg)
• Die Ongelooflike Onskuld van Dirkie Verwey by Charl-Pierre Naudé (Tafelberg)
• Die Troebel Tyd by Ingrid Winterbach (Human & Rousseau)

Elisabeth Eybers Prize for Poetry

• The History of Intimacy by Gabeba Baderoon (Kwela Books)
• Asof Geen Berge Ooit Hier Gewoon het nie by Pieter Odendaal (Tafelberg)

MER Prize for Youth Novels

• The Reject by Edyth Bulbring (Tafelberg)
• Kraak by Rouxnette Meiring (Tafelberg)
• Mine by Sally Partridge (Human & Rousseau)

MER Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books

• Stories vir Pikkies en Peuters by Gertie Smit, illustrated by Samantha van Riet, Tumi K. Steyn, Tasia Rosser and Melany Pietersen (Tafelberg)
• Bennie Boekwurm se Mooiste Sprokies by Louise Smit, illustrated by Johann Strauss (Human & Rousseau)
• Die Legendariese Lua Verwey by Dihanna Taute, illustrated by Theodore Key (Human & Rousseau)

The winner in each category receives R35,000. The MER Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books is shared by the author and illustrator(s) of the winning title.

The awards function will be held in Cape Town on Thursday June 13.

Article provided by NB Publishers