SALA Awards

This year’s winners of the South African Literary Awards (SALAs) were announced on Tuesday night, 07 November 2017 at UNISA, Pretoria Campus.
Authors, poets, writers other and literary practitioners whose works are continuously contributing to the enrichment of South Africa’s literary landscape were celebrated in an auspicious ceremony.

The SALA Awards have honoured over a hundred individuals in the past 12 years.

The First-time Published Author Award went to Moses Shimo Seletisha for Tšhutšhumakgala (Sepedi), while the K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award went to Nthikeng Mohlele for Pleasure (English). The Poetry Award went to Helen Moffett for Prunings (English) and Simphiwe Ali Nolutshungu for Iingcango Zentliziyo (isiXhosa), while the Nadine Gordimer Short story Award went to Roela Hattingh for Kamee (Afrikaans)

On the Non-Fiction side, the creative Non-fiction Award went to Dikgang Moseneke for My Own Liberator (English), while the Literary Journalism Award went to Don Makatile and Phakama Mbonambi.

A Posthumous Literary Award was bestowed upon |A!kunta, !Kabbo, ≠Kasin, Dia!kwain and |Han≠kass’o (!Xam and !Kun), while the Chairperson’s Award went to Themba Christian Msimang. Lifetime Achievement Literary Awards went to Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa (English), Aletta Matshedisð Motimele (Sepedi) and Etienne van Heerden (Afrikaans).

Literary Translators Award winners were Bridget Theron-Bushell for The Thirstland Trek: 1874—1881 (Afrikaans—English); Jeff Opland, Wandile Kuse and Pamela Maseko for William Wellington Gqoba: Isizwe Esinembali: Xhosa Histories and Poetry (1873—1888) (isiXhosa—English); Jeff Opland and Pamela Maseko for DLP Yali-Manisi: Iimbali Zamanyange: Historical Poems (isiXhosa—English).