BOOK Southern Africa

Enter the 2nd Annual SA Wine Writers Award

by Sophy on 10 Mar 2010   |   

The South African Wine Writers Award, awarded in May each year at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, celebrates the art of wine journalism. Entries for this award are now open:

Entries for the 2nd Annual South African Wine Writers Award close on March 26.

The Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourist Association (FWVTA) will be awarding the 2nd Annual South African Wine Writers Award at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in May this year.

This award was initiated in 2009 as an acknowledgement to the art of wine writing in South Africa, and the R25 000 prize was won last year by Joanne Gibson, deputy editor of WINE magazine.

• Complete article at Artslink.co.za

Photo courtesy Solms-Delta

Skryf nou in vir die 2010 RSG-Sanlam radiodramaskryfkompetisie

by Jani on 03 Mar 2010   |   

Hoor jou storie op die draadloos met die 2010 RSG en Sanlam het so pas die radiodramaskryfkompetisie. Jy kan ook lekker geld maak – die eerste prys is R20,000 en die tweede R10,000. Verlede jaar se eerste prys het gegaan aan Piet Steyn vir Die mynramp en die tweede prys aan Leon van Nierop vir Twyfelberg. Kompetisie besonderhede volg onderaan.

Doop jou veer in ink, want die radiostasie RSG en Sanlam se radiodramaskryfkompetisie vir 2010 is pas aangekondig.

Margot Luyt van RSG sê enigeen met bewese skryftalent kan vir die kompetisie inskryf, ongeag of hulle al voorheen ’n radiodrama aangepak het of nie.

Deelnemers moet net seker maak hulle hou by die voorgeskrewe riglyne.

Oor verlede jaar se inskryf-oes sê Luyt dit was lekker om te sien dat mense respek vir die radiodrama as genre begin ontwikkel.

• Lees die volledige artikel in Beeld

Foto te danke aan Scordo

Enter the 2010 Commonwealth Foundation Short Story Competition by 31 March

by Ben - Editor on 02 Mar 2010   |   

Alert! There are still thirty-and-a-half writing days left to knock a short story into shape for the annual Commonwealth Foundation Short Story Competition, which closes at the end of the month.

The competition bears a structure similar to the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize: regional winners are first chosen (prize: £500) and go on to compete with one another for the top gong, which carries a purse of £2000.

Here’s all the info you need to enter:

The Commonwealth Short Story Competition is an annual scheme to promote new creative writing, funded and administered by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. Each year around 25 winning and highly commended stories from the different regions of the Commonwealth are recorded on to CDs and broadcast on radio stations across the Commonwealth.

Anyone aged 19 or over who is a citizen of a Commonwealth country can enter, whether a professional or amateur writer. Commonwealth citizens who are 18 or under can enter the Commonwealth Essay Competition.

Stories should be original, unpublished, written in English and no more than 600 words long. Entries will be submitted in plain text via the online application form.

In addition to the first prize and four regional prizes, this year there will be special prizes for the best story for children and the best story concerning Science, Technology and Society, the Commonwealth Day theme for 2010.

There is no entry fee. Only one entry may be submitted per person. This can either be a general entry, or a story on the Commonwealth Day theme, or a story for children.

• Submit your story: click here
• Read or listen to last year’s winning stories

Winners will be announced in September. Good luck to all who enter!

2010's Reading Race Champion Leafs Through 158 Books

by Jani on 09 Feb 2010   |   

Natasha Kruger is the winner of the 2010 SA Reading Race, held earlier this year in Johannesburg. The young lady managed to work her way through 158 books in 10 months, learning English along the way. The Reading Race, now in its 15th year is designed to draw children to libraries and to foster a reading culture.

Read this special report from the London Book Fair’s Lucy Holland-Smith:

This year’s winner of the Johannesburg “Reading Race” managed to get through 158 books in
just ten months, it has been revealed

The annual event, which takes place at the Rhodes Park Library in the eastern part of the South African city and is now in its 15th year, is designed to encourage children to read more, according to Johannesburg’s official website.

While the eventual winner notched up an impressive 158 books, a total of 16 children were acknowledged for their efforts.

Edith Khuzwayo, a librarian at the Rhodes Park facility, said that while the library undoubtedly benefitted from the publicity brought by the race, the primary aim of the event was indisputably to highlight the joys of reading.

• Read the complete article at LBF home

Photo courtesy Joburg.org.za

Maskew Miller Longman Youth Novel Competition Update: Workshop Dates Released

by Ben - Editor on 08 Feb 2010   |   

Alert! Maskew Miller Longman, sponsor of an annual, multi-language literature competition – which is in the area of youth novels this year – has just announced the dates of the writing workshops that will accompany this year’s awards process.

From the press release:

To help aspirant writers with the submission of their youth novel, Maskew Miller Longman will be hosting writer’s workshops across various provinces in South Africa. Rachelle Greeff, well-known author of various short story anthologies, novels and children’s stories will facilitate the workshops and provide guidance and useful tips on how to write interesting and engaging novels for South Africa’s youth. Rachelle regularly conducts writing courses and is also the book editor for Rapport.

To qualify to attend one of these workshops, you simply need to send a brief motivation letter and one page CV, to Bernice Snyman @ Fax (021) 531 0716 or e-mail: Bernice.Snyman@mml.co.za. Remember to indicate which workshop you would like to attend and please include your contact details.

Workshops will be limited to 25 delegates.

Dates for the workshops are as follows:

Polokwane 23 February 2010

Johannesburg 24 February 2010

Durban 25 February 2010

Cape Town 26 February 2010

Entries for the awards are being accepted in all eleven official languages, and the prizes per language are R10 000 for first place and R5 000 for the runner-up. Deadline for submission is 30 April 2010.

• Click here for the MML competition criteria and rules

The Third 2nd Annual Baobab Prize Now Accepting Submissions

by Ben - Editor on 04 Feb 2010   |   

We mistakenly thought that the Baobab Prize was in its third year – it’s actually turning two in 2010. Hence the correction in this post’s title.

Alert! The Baobab Prize – a literary award launched in 2008 by Deborah Ahenkorah and Ramatoulaye Shagaya that aims “to encourage the writing of African literature for young readers” – is now open for submission for its 2010 awards.

Short stories (in English) of between 1000 and 5000 words are being accepted in two categories: “Category A (stories for readers aged 8 – 11 years) or Category B (stories for readers aged 12 – 15 years)”. First prizes are $1000 per category; and there’s also an $800 “rising writer” prize for submissions from people under 18. Any African citizen may enter; the deadline is Monday, April 26 2010; send your story as an attachment to submitbaobab@gmail.com.

Lauri Kubuitsile won one of the prizes in 2008. More info at these links:

• Baobab submission guidlines
• About the prizes
• About the awards
• Contact Baobab

Good luck to all who enter!

Poetry Alert! Call for Submissions for the Inaugural Sol Plaatje Award for Poetry

by Thando on 03 Feb 2010   |   

We all know how difficult it is for poets to get published… This is your opportunity. The deadline for submissions for the Sol Plaatje Poetry Award has been extended to 1 March 2010. The inaugural Sol Plaatje Poetry Award for poetry in ALL 11 South African languages will be awarded later this year. The jury will be convened by South African Poet Laureate, Keorapetse (Willie) Kgositsile.

Prize:

• All selected works will be published in an annual anthology.
• Selected poets will be invited to appear at a South African poetry festival.
• A cash prize of R10 000 will be divided among the selected poets.

Rules:

• Entrants are encouraged to write in their mother tongue.
• Poems may not have been published in book form before, but may have been published in journals or magazines.
• Entries are limited to 3 poems per poet.
• Entrants must be South African citizens permanently resident in South Africa.
• Entries must include 6 copies of each poem entered plus a soft copy in a suitable word-processing package. No handwritten entries will be considered.
• Entries must include a one-page biography of the author, including the name of their poem and current contact details.
• The award is judged blind and therefore any poems that include the author’s name will be disqualified.

Submissions:

• Submit your entries by 1 March 2010 in a clearly marked envelope indicating the award and the language of entry
• Send to:
   
  European Union Literary Awards
  PO Box 291784
  Melville 2109

  or deliver by hand to:

  Jacana Media
  10 Orange St
  Sunnyside, Auckland Park
  Johannesburg

Good luck to all the entrants!

13th Time of the Writer Festival 9 - 13 March: Short Story Competition for Learners

by Sharlene on 03 Feb 2010   |   

The Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal) will host the 13th Time of the Writer, international writers’ festival from 9 to 13th March 2010. The festival will bring a host of local and African authors, offering a valuable opportunity for the public to gain insight into the creative processes and perspectives which inform their writing.

Evening readings, book launches and discussions will take place at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban. Wide-reaching day activities, including school visits, are spread across Durban and surrounding areas as part of the festival’s ongoing effort to promote and nurture a culture of reading, writing and creative expression, particularly among the youth.

Time of the Writer invites learners to submit material for the short story writing competition to be held in conjunction with the festival. Learners are invited to engage creatively with a theme of their choice. Please make your submissions by no later than WEDNESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY and our judges will then make the final selection. Please note that entries must be fictional stories and not critical essays. A maximum of 5 pages (preferably typed) are to be written in either English, Zulu or Afrikaans. Illegible entries will not be considered.

Winners will be awarded cash prizes and given complimentary tickets to attend the festival, where they will be handed their prizes. If you are a learner and would like to be involved in this competition – submit your stories, together with your school’s name, teacher’s name, and your school telephone number to the Centre for Creative Arts. Entries may be hand delivered to the Centre, e-mailed to cca@ukzn.ac.za, faxed to 031 260 3074 or posted to

TIME OF THE WRITER FESTIVAL
CENTRE FOR CREATIVE ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL
HOWARD COLLEGE CAMPUS
MAZISI KUNENE AVENUE
DURBAN 4041

For more information on the festival or the competition, please contact the Centre for Creative Arts on 031 260 2506/1704 or email cca@ukzn.ac.za or visit our website: www.cca.ukzn.ac.za.

Time of the Writer 2010 is supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, the French Institute of South Africa, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), City of Durban, Adams Campus Books, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

The Spud Around the World Competition Closes - Who Will Win?

by Tracey on 01 Feb 2010   |   

The pictures in the Independent Newspapers’ “Spud Around the World” competition – click here for a sampler – are in, and it’s time to judge who will win the hamper of signed books from author John van de Ruit. (He will help with the judging, and will hand over the prize personally!) Sally Scott, who initiated the competition, summarises the results and the next steps:

From the top of Kilimanjaro to Paris, London, New York, Crete, Berlin, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Vancouver, Bolivia, India, Mauritius to Thailand, young Spud has been there and done it. Spud author John van de Ruit and a small panel of judges will be making the difficult choice (we even had an underwater pic), tomorrow, on who our winner will be.

• Read the complete article at IOL Tonight

Book details

• Spud by John van de Ruit
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780143024842
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Spud: The madness continues by John van de Ruit
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780143025207
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

• Spud: Learning to Fly by John van de Ruit
  Book homepage
  EAN: 9780143025955
  Find this book with BOOK Finder!

2010 Short Story Contest from the SA Writers' College is Open

by Ben - Editor on 29 Jan 2010   |   

Alert! The SA Writers’ College has announced its 2010 short story award for unpublished writers. First prize is a laptop, second prize is R2000 and the top three entries will be published on the college’s website and “and the winners will receive individual editorial guidance on their submitted works”.

Deadline is 31 March. And note: when the SA Writers’ College says “unpublished”, it means “unpublished”, as the following bullet point excerpt from the guidlines indicate (underlining in the original email):

• We only accept stories from writers who have NEVER been published in any genre, in any professional publication (for payment or otherwise). The only exception is if you have written articles for community or work newsletters, but not for payment.

Here are the competition notes in full:

* * * * * * * *

The SA WRITERS’ COLLEGE 2010 Annual Short Story Award

For Unpublished Writers in South Africa

This competition is to acknowledge excellence in creative writing in the Short Story genre. The contest is open to any writer residing in South Africa who is unpublished.

PRIZES:

First prize: A Dell Inspiron Laptop (15.4 inch screen; Core 2 Duo processor; 2 GB Memory; 160 GB hard drive)

Second Prize: R2000.00

Top three entries will be published on our college site and the winners will receive individual editorial guidance on their submitted works.

DEADLINE: 31 March 2010, via e-mail only to Nichola@sawriterscollege.co.za. Entry is free.

THEME: Power

GUIDELINES FOR ENTRIES:

Entry is limited to South African residents.

Entrants must submit a story of maximum word count: 2000 words. Any entries exceeding the word count by 50 words will not be considered.

We only accept stories from writers who have NEVER been published in any genre, in any professional publication (for payment or otherwise). The only exception is if you have written articles for community or work newsletters, but not for payment.

Stories must not have been previously published. Entrants must own full copyright to the story submitted.

Only one story per entrant is allowed.

Only e-mail submissions are acceptable, with stories attached as Word Documents. Mark your entry clearly with the subject line: SAWC Annual Short Story Competition, and submit according to rules below.
If you have not received an acknowledgement of your submission within three days, please re-send your entry.

All submissions must be sent to Nichola Meyer: Nichola@sawriterscollege.co.za.

ENTRY FORMAT:

Your first page of your Word document must include the story title, your name, email address, and total number of words of the entry.
Do not include your name on any page of your story, except the title page. All entries will be judged blind.

Make sure your story has been edited and polished according to tips and guidelines provided on our college site under “Writing Resources”.

CRITIQUES:

We do not have the time to supply a critique for each submission. If you wish to receive a professional one-page report of your work, please state your requirement on your title page. We charge R120.00 per critique.

COMPETITION RULES:

The competition is open to anyone in South Africa over the age of 16.

The competition closes on 31 March 2010, and winners will be announced and displayed on our web site by 30 April 2010.

Prizewinners will be notified via email as well as on our web site; please ensure you supply a valid email address with your entry.

Prize money will be paid via electronic transfer.

We only accept entries written in English.

Entrant must own full copyright of the piece.

Writers retain copyright, but give permission for their work to be displayed on our website.

The judges’ decision is final; no disputes will be entered into.

If your entry has not been acknowledged within 72 hours, please contact us -your mail may have got lost in transit.

SA Writers’ College reserves the right to extend the competition deadline, or cancel the competition should the entries not be of publishable quality or up to the required standard.

* * * * * * * *

• Click here for information on the judges, which include BOOK SA members Henrietta Rose-Innes, Alex Smith and Liesl Jobson