The University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing in English is now open for the submissions. The UJ Prize has two categories, Main and Debut, and is open to creative writing in any genre. The UJ Prize comes with a R75 000 cash award, while the UJ Debut Prize is worth R35 000.
Submissions (five copies of each) are due by 30 November 2015. Works may be submitted in either or both of the categories listed below:
- The UJ Prize for the best creative work in English; and
- The UJ Prize for the best creative debut work in English.
The value of the prizes is:
- The UJ Prize: R75 000
- The UJ Debut Prize: R35 000
The selection panel comprises the following five members:
Three members of the Department of English, UJ; two academics from other universities; or one academic from another university and one member from the media industry or publishing.
Genre
UJ doesn’t link the prizes to a specific genre. This may make the evaluation more difficult in the sense that, for example, a volume of poetry, a novel and a biographical work must be measured against one another, but their intention is to open the prize to as many forms of creative writing as possible.
How to submit
Publishers who wish to submit entries for the UJ prize for works published in 2015 should contact Mrs Nicole Moore (nicolem@uj.ac.za).
Please send all submissions to the addresses below:
By courier
Nicole Moore
University of Johannesburg
English Dept
B-Ring 721
Kingsway Road
Auckland Park
Johannesburg
By mail
Nicole Moore
University of Johannesburg
English Dept
PO Box 526
Auckland Park 2006
Johannesburg
History of the University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing in English 2014
The main prize of R75 000 was awarded to Zakes Mda for Rachel’s Blue. The debut prize of R35 000 was awarded to Penny Busetto for The Story of Anna P, As Told By Herself. A formal prize-giving ceremony was held at a function in September 2015.