The Jacana Literary Foundation has announced the highly
commended and shortlisted finalists for the 2015/16 Dinaane Debut Fiction
Award. Entries were judged blind by a panel comprising Pamela Nichols (chair), Fred
Khumalo and Maureen Isaacson.
The following manuscripts have been shortlisted: No word like home by Saul Musker; Selling LipService by Tammy Baikie, and The Last Stop by Thabiso Mofokeng.
The overall winner will be announced at an award ceremony
later this year, at which their book will be revealed in print and the prize of
R35,000 will be awarded.
The following manuscripts were highly commended: Braids and Migraines by Andile Cele; Settlement by Phillip Doran; The Binding Hut by Mathabo Masilela, and
The Unfamous Five by Nedine Moonsamy.
In a ‘first of its kind’ the JLF will also present the
inaugural Kraak Writing Award, with the winning writer selected from the 2014–2016
runners-up. The grant is valued at R25,000 and dedicated to the memory of
Gerald Kraak, and it will offer the recepient mentoring and intensive coaching
from an editor/ publishing expert enabling the author to refine and develop
their work still further.