In a first for the awards, André Brink has been nominated in both the English and Afrikaans categories in the same year.
In the English category, the finalists are:
- The Rights of Desire by André Brink (Secker & Warburg)
- The Quiet Violence of Dreams by K Sello Duiker (Kwela)
- The Heart of Redness by Zakes Mda (Oxford University Press)
- Shark’s Egg by Henrietta Rose-Innes (Kwela)
- David’s Story by Zoë Wicomb (Kwela)
In the Afrikaans category, the finalists are:
- Donkermaan by André Brink (Human & Rousseau)
- Pieternella van die Kaap by Dalene Matthee (Tafelberg)
- Orion by Deon Meyer (Human & Rousseau)
- Die Swye van Mario Salviati by Etienne van Heerden ( Tafelberg)
- Gif by Petrus Hendrik van Rooyen (Protea House)
The M-Net Book Prize is now in its 11th year. “M-Net’s commitment to the book prize is in recognition of the crucial role that literature plays in the development of a culture of reading,” says M-Net marketing director Serame Taukobong.
M-Net will award over R250Â 000 in prizes in total, including merit awards. Each of the winnng novels in the English and Afrikaans categories will win R50Â 000.
The winners will be announced at a dinner on October 20.