The winner of the European Union Literary Award for 2007/08 will be announced during the Cape Town Book Fair on Sunday June 15. Shortlisted are The Monkey on the Mountain by BK Green, Martin Winter’s Road by AJ Kruger, Mourning by Karen Williams and Till we can Keep an Animal by Megan Voysey-Braig.
The winner receives a R25Â 000 cash prize. Jacana Media publishes the winning novel and Exclusive Books will consider it for a place on its annual Homebru list next year.
The finalists’ manuscripts were selected from 53 submissions and a long list of seven. The award has at its core the ideal of promoting fresh, new, South African literature that speaks not only to South Africans but also to an international audience.
Three years after inauguration it counts among the most prestigious literary awards in the country, as well as being the first of its kind in the world by virtue of its support structure. Backing is from the European Union through a number of its representations in South Africa, including the French embassy, the British Council, the embassy of Finland, the Goethe Institute, the Royal Netherlands embassy, the embassy of Spain and the embassy of Sweden.
The prizegiving will be hosted by Denis Pietton, the French Ambassador, on behalf of the European Union, and Jacana Media. Pietton says: ‘Since the creation of the EU Literary Award, winners have embodied South Africa’s cultural wealth and diversity. The EU is proud to be able, through this award, to bring these new writers to the South African readership and the world at large.â€
At the ceremony the panel of judges — writer and Mail & Guardian books editor Darryl Accone, professor of English Craig Mackenzie and poet, writer and painter Véronique Tadjo — will present synopses of the shortlisted manuscripts and Kopano Matlwa, the 2006/07 EU Award winner, will read excerpts from each.
Book lovers wishing to attend can email [email protected] to request an invitation