The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony, which will be held at the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria on 7 November.
Now in its 14th year, the Salas is awarded annually by the Write Associates in partnership with the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture to celebrate literary excellence in all the languages of South Africa.
Morakabe Seakhoa, Sala project director, says: “The main aim of the South African Literary Awards is to pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as groundbreaking producers and creators of literature, while it celebrates literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa’s histories, value systems and philosophies and art as inscribed and preserved in all the languages of South Africa, particularly the official languages."
| Author | Title of book/publication | Language |
| Children’s Literature Award | ||
| Lebohang Masango | Mpumi’s Magic Beads | English |
| Jaco Jacobs | Rondomtalie | Afrikaans |
| Youth Literature Award | ||
| Sally Partridge | Mine | English |
| Marion Erskine | Vlerke Vir Almal | Afrikaans |
| First-time Published Author Award | ||
| Bongani Ngqulunga | The Man Who Founded The ANC: A Biography of Pixley Ka Isaka Seme | English |
| Rekgotsofetse Chikane | Breaking A Rainbow, Building A Nation: The Politics Behind #Mustfall Movements | English |
| Lodewyk G. Du Plessis | Die Dao Van Daan Van Der Walt | Afrikaans |
| Poetry Award | ||
| Tony Ullyatt | An Unobtrusive Vice | English |
| Willie van der Merwe | Doodmenslik | Afrikaans |
| Nathan Trantraal | Alles Het Niet Kom Wod | Afrikaans |
| AyandaBillie | Umhlaba umanzi | IsiXhosa |
| K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award | ||
| Chase Rhys | Kinnes | Afrikaans |
| Novel Award | ||
| Charl-Pierre Naude | Die Ongelooflike Onskuld Van Dirkie Verwey | Afrikaans |
| Sabata-Mpho Mokae | Moletlo Wa Manong | Setswana |
| Ingrid Winterbach | Die Troebel Tyd | Afrikaans |
| Nadine Gordimer Short-Story Award | ||
| Ken Barris | The Life of Worm & Other Misconceptions | English |
| Niq Mhlongo | Soweto Under The Apricot Tree | English |
| Creative Non-Fiction Literary Award | ||
| Sylvia Neame | Imprisoned | English |
| Jonathan Jansen | As By Fire | English |
| Jeremy Vearey | Jeremy Vannie Elsies | Afrikaans |
| Literary Translator’s Award | ||
| Dominique Botha | Kamphoer (The Camp Whore) | Afrikaans to English |
| Michiel Heyns | Buys (Red Dog) | Afrikaans to English |
| Literary Journalism Award | ||
| Jennifer Malec | Body of work | English |
| Wamuwi Mbao | Body of work | English |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | ||
| Louise Smit | Body of work | Afrikaans |
| Cornelius Tennyson Daniel Marivate | Body of work | Xitsonga |
The Posthumous Literary Award and Chairperson’s Award will be announced at the awards ceremony.
Find out more on the SA Literary Awards Facebook page.
