ENGLISH ACADEMY PERCY FITZPATRICK PRIZE FOR YOUTH LITERATURE

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES FOR THE ENGLISH ACADEMY

PERCY FITZPATRICK PRIZE FOR YOUTH LITERATURE AND
THOMAS PRINGLE AWARD FOR A SHORT STORY

After months of hard work, the panels adjudicating the above listed awards have come up with shortlists of potential winners. Below is detailed information about the shortlisted entries.

PERCY FITZPATRICK PRIZE

The panel reports that there were many impressive books to choose from. They have produced a shortlist of seven books which were highly praised, and would all have made worthy winners. In alphabetical order the books are:

The Billion Dollar Soccer Ball by Michael Williams (Maskew Miller Longman, 2009)

Dance of the Freaky Green Gold by John Coetzee (Tafelberg, 2008)

Daniel Fox and the Jester’s Legacy by Andy Petersen (Penguin, 2009)

Fuse by S A Partridge (Human & Rousseau, 2009)

Jesse’s Story by Fiona MacGregor (Maskew Miller Longman, 2008)

Sharkey’s Son by Gillian D`Achada (Tafelberg, 2008)

The Summer of Toffie and Grummer by Edyth Bulbring (Oxford University Press SA, 2008)

Judges: Crystal Warren (Convener), Marike Beyers and Megan van der Nest

THOMAS PRINGLE AWARD

In the judges’ opinion, the entrants for the Thomas Pringle Award for the Short Story demonstrate that the reduced market for short stories has done nothing to inhibit the quality of the writing being produced. The following stories have been shortlisted for the award:

‘Buiten Street’ by Stephen Watson (New Contrast, Vol. 36 No 4 2008)

‘Arrested Development’ by Sandisile Tshuma (Words, Fourth Quarter 2008)

‘Help’ by Liesl Jobson (New Contrast, Vol. 36 No 2 2008)

‘Hannah Hunter Watson’ by Stephen Watson (New Contrast, Vol. 36 No 2 2008)

‘Strangers’ by Arja Salafranca (New Contrast, Vol. 37 No 4 2009)

‘Venus Crossing’ by Gail Dendy (New Contrast, Vol. 37 No 6 2009)

Judges: Jo-Anne Richards (Convener), Hugh Hodge and Phakama Mbonambi

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The winners will be announced in the weeks ahead. For more information on English Academy awards, please contact Naomi Nkealah on 011 717 9339 (weekdays 09:00-12:30 only) or at englishacademy@societies.wits.ac.za. You can also visit www.englishacademy.co.za.