University of Johannesburg Prize for Creative Writing 2021 shortlists announced.

The shortlists for the University of Johannesburg Prize for Creative Writing 2021 were announced on September 9, 2021.

The University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing, also known as the UJ Prize, was instituted in 2006. It comprised of a main prize and a debut prize, given annually for “the best original creative work in English published in the previous calendar year”. Some previous winners were Nthikeng Mohlele. Mohale Mashigo, Zakes Mda, Penny Busetto, Lauren Beukes, Ivan Vladislavic, and Jacob Dlamini.

For 2021, the Multilingual Language Services Office (MLSO) of the University of Johannesburg, introduced new prizes and they announced their shortlists on September 9. They are;

UJ Prize for Creative Writing in isiZulu

The following titles are shortlisted (in alphabetical order according to the authors’ surname) for the 2021 main prize in isiZulu with a prize value of R70 000.00:

• Ngenxa YeMendi by F Khumalo
• Kwashiyana ukwenza by ME Ngcobo
• Isibusiso Nezinyembezi by EDM Sibiya

UJ Debut Prize in isiZulu 2021

The shortlist for the 2021 Debut Prize in isiZulu with a monetary value of R35 000.00 (in alphabetical order according to the authors’ surname) contains the following titles:

• UGovana kaGovana by Mbusiseni Bhenya
• Ngenxa Yezinduna by T Mabaso
• Isivivane soKhozi by M Mcambi

UJ Prize for Sesotho sa Leboa 2021

The titles on the shortlist for the 2021 main prize for Sesotho sa Leboa (in alphabetical order according to the authors’ surname) with a prize value of R70 000.00 are:

• Afa re maraganateng?byRakhudu Mathiba
• Madimabe a Lešokoby Kobate John Sekele
• Mararankodi mafelelo by Kobate John Sekele

UJ Prize for Literary Translation 2021

The following titles are shortlisted for the UJ Prize for Literary Translation(in alphabetical order according to the translators’ surname) with a prize value of R50 000.00:

• 1 Recce.  The Night belongs to us by Alexander Strachan translated by Linde Dietrich
• Reg Dog by Willem Anker translated by Michiel Heyns
• Iimbali Zamandulu.  Stories of the past (1838-1910) edited and translated by Jeff Opland and Peter T Mtuze

UJ Prize for the Translation of Youth Texts

For 2021, an additional prize will be awarded, namely the UJ Prize for the Translation of Youth Texts with a prize value of R35 000.00. The following texts (in alphabetical order according to the translators’ surname) are shortlisted:

• Die Ickabog by JK Rowling translated by Kobus Geldenhuys
• Spoekie by Jason Reynolds translated by André Trantraal
• Die Lang Pad Onnetoe by Jason Reynolds translated by Nathan Trantraal

The winners for the different prizes will be announced on Wednesday, September 15, 2021.