Shortlists for 2020 Media24 Books Literary Prizes announced

Media24 Books has announced the shortlists for the 2020 Media24 Books Literary Prizes. 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 more than 80 submissions. The shortlists consist of three titles each, apart from the Elisabeth Eybers Poetry Prize where all four entries qualified, and the MER Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books. Henceforth, the latter prize will have separate shortlists for authors and illustrators, allowing recognition of the role illustrators play in giving new life to reissues and story collections that previously did not qualify for the prize.

Herman Charles Bosman Prize for English Fiction (novels, short stories, drama)
Okay, Okay, Okay by Finuala Dowling (Kwela)
Yellowbone by Ekow Duker (Kwela)
Lucky Packet by Trevor Sacks (Kwela)

Recht Malan Prize for Nonfiction
Rebels and Rage by Adam Habib (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
Lawfare by Michelle le Roux and Dennis Davis (Jonathan Ball Publishers)
One Day in Bethlehem by Johnny Steinberg (Jonathan Ball Publishers)

WA Hofmeyr Prize for Afrikaans Fiction (novels, short stories, drama)
Hond se gedagte by Kerneels Breytenbach (Human & Rousseau)
Ek wens, ek wens by Zirk van den Berg (Kwela)
Die biblioteek aan die einde van die wêreld by Etienne van Heerden (Tafelberg)

Elisabeth Eybers Prize for Poetry
Chinatown: Gedigte by Ronelda Kamfer (Kwela)
Jan, Piet, Koos en Jakob by Loftus Marais (Human & Rousseau)
Kryt by Hennie Nortjé (Queillerie)
Sikhahlel’ u-OR: A Praise Poem for Oliver Tambo by Mongane Serote (Kwela)

MER Prize for Youth Novels
The Choice Between Us by Edyth Bulbring (Tafelberg)
Toring van Jasmyn by Derick van der Walt (Tafelberg)
Brand by Fanie Viljoen (Tafelberg)

MER Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books: Authors
Bella en Sebastiaan by Mari Grobler (Tafelberg)
Die legendariese Lua Verwey 2: ’n Plaas se geraas by Dihanna Taute (Human & Rousseau)
Die dag toe die draak kom: ’n Boek vir meisies by Fanie Viljoen (Human & Rousseau)

MER Prize for Illustrated Children’s Books: Illustrators
Die hasie van fluweel by Margery Williams, translated by Linda Rode and illustrated by Theodore Key (Human & Rousseau)
Liewe Heksie en die pampoene by Verna Vels, illustrated by Vian Oelofsen (Human & Rousseau)
Die dag toe die draak kom: ’n Boek vir meisies by Fanie Viljoen, illustrated by Tumi K Steyn (Human & Rousseau)

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

The prizes will be awarded online on June 18.

Issued by Media24 Books