Pay-TV broadcaster M-Net has issued a call for entries for next year’s M-Net Literary Awards, which will be in their 19th year in 2010. Entries close on Monday, 30 November.
Returning in 2010 will be the popular film category, which was won last year in its first incarnation by Deon Meyer’s 13 uur. This category seeks truly South African novels which lend themselves to development into screenplays, with the winner’s novel being filmed for the silver screen by M-Net.
The Call to Entry and entry forms will be sent to all members of the South African Publishers Association, but entry forms are also available online at www.mnetcorporate.co.za and by contacting Annalie Ackermann on (011) 686 6220 or annalie.ackermann@mnet.co.za.
The judges will be looking out for literary merit, strong storylines and an authentic, original South African focus. The judges, experts in both the literary and film fields, will once again be supported in their tough task by advisors Mothobi Mutloatse (author and publisher) and Hettie Scholtz (Publishing Consultant).
Novels in all of South Africa’s indigenous languages, published between January and December 2009 are eligible for the 2010 Awards, and must exceed 10 000 words in length. Novels set to be published in December are eligible for entry, with notice from the publishers.
For the purposes of the M-Net Literary Awards, all entries are divided into six language categories:
– Nguni (isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, siSwati)
– SeSotho (Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana),
– Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans and English.
The winner in each category takes home a R30 000 cash prize, with an additional R30 000 prize for the Film Category. Permission is required from the authors for the publisher to submit their novels for consideration in the Film Category, as well as written confirmation that the film rights for the novel are available at the time of entry and the assurance that M-Net will have first right of refusal for filming the novel for television. Where authors are represented by agents, entries will only be considered if accompanied by written consent by the agent.
Patron of the M-Net Literary Awards, and award-winning author in his own right Mandla Langa, sees the Awards as vital in developing South Africa’s literary talents. “While South Africa strides towards defining itself as a country whose creativity is being unleashed daily, it will be up to endeavours such as the M-Net Literary Awards to concretize the aspirations of our diverse society and help nurture and inspire the writers of tomorrow’, says Langa.
For more information about the M-Net Literary Awards, please visit www.mnetcorporate.co.za.
