Bloemfontein author Annerle Barnard receives her 3rd nomination and 2nd Sanlam Prize as she wins Gold for Spel, described as “suspenseful science fiction in which contrasting worlds of the modern and the traditional come to the fore and artificial intelligence are weighed up against human ability.”

Johannesburg English teacher Catherine Jarvis won Gold for The Swim Team, described by the judges as “an extremely topical story that deftly explores issues of race and privilege, sketching out well-rounded and believable characters and convincing scenarios in the boarding house of a highly privileged school. It has a plot that resonates strongly with teen issues, particularly the contemporary issues of race in urban South African schools. The positive resolution of the story gives pause for thought – and hope.”

KwaZulu Natal-born Sandile Ngwenya’s Gold winner Imali Yezipoki is described as an “African magical realism and rural-urban thriller. It explores African cosmologies and epistemologies to provide a three-world system occupied by three realms: the mythical, the ancestral and the living, all replete with a richly-textual linguistic discourse for each of these realms”. This novel is written in isiZulu and can be translated as “The Ghost’s Treasure”.

Betsie van Niekerk, from Malmesbury, won Silver for Anderkind, a historical youth novel set in the time of the Great Flu epidemic of 1918. Judges commented that “the theme of staying alive in the face of great hardship makes the story relevant to readers today, as well as the notion of a reconfigured family ekeing out a new existence together”.

Published author Penny Lorimer from Cape Town won Silver for Luntu Masiza Tells the Truth which, according to the judges, should be a pocket guide to life for all teenagers. “This heartfelt story explores the challenges of a fatherless teenaged township boy in a way that is profoundly relevant and universal. Deeply empathetic and wise, it maintains a light touch through the engaging medium of email, as the main character, Luntu, explores his own fallibility in an endearing style.”

Cape Town-based debut author Thulani Simayile won Silver for his novel UNolali (which can be translated as “Country Bumpkin”). The story addresses the way in which children are displaced after they become orphans, often victims of cruelty in their extended families. Judges highlighted that “the education theme is displayed in great light so as to emphasize its benefits and that despite troubles and other influences in life, at the end of it all, education is the one thing that will ensure that you reach your dreams.”