Olive Schreiner Prize

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The Olive Schreiner Prize
Awarded forNovice drama, prose, or poetry in English
Presented by English Academy of Southern Africa
Eligibility Southern Africa
Established1961

The Olive Schreiner Prize has been awarded annually since 1961 to emerging writers in the field of drama, prose, or poetry. [1] It is named after Olive Schreiner, the South African author and activist. It rewards promising novice work, by writers who are not yet regarded as "established" in the genre. [2] It rotates annually among the genres of drama, prose, and poetry. The prize for each genre is therefore triennial, and is open to work published in the three years since it was last awarded. [2]

The Prize was established in 1961 by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns (SAAWK), and was transferred to the English Academy of Southern Africa in 1972. [3] The Prize was previously sponsored by Shell South Africa, and later by FNB, [4] and under SAAWK was open only to works published in South Africa or Rhodesia by a writer from one of those countries. [3] It is now open to works published in southern African countries by citizens of southern African countries generally. [2] It is not highly remunerated – by 1987, it was worth only R500, [5] and in 2010 was worth R5 000 [6] – but is considered prestigious. [7]

As of 2018, the Prize could not be awarded to the same writer more than twice. [2] To date, this disqualifies only two writers: Rustum Kozain, who has won the poetry prize twice, and Zakes Mda, who has won for both drama and prose.

Prize winners

Olive Schreiner in 1889 Olive Schreiner00.jpg
Olive Schreiner in 1889
Winners of the Olive Schreiner Prize (1961–2019)
YearFormWinnerRef.
2022PoetryJacques CoetzeeAn Illuminated Darkness [8]
2020Drama Nadia Davids What Remains: A Play in One Act [1]
2019Poetry Allan Kolski Horwitz The Colours of Our Flag [1]
2018Prose Bronwyn Law-Viljoen The Printmaker [1]
Elleke Boehmer The Shouting in the Dark
2017DramaNeil CoppenTin Bucket Drum [1]
2016PoetryNo award [1]
2015Prose Imran Garda The Thunder that Roars [9] [10] [11]
Jill NudelmanInheriting the Earth
2014DramaPhillip M. DikotlaSkierlik [1]
2013Poetry Rustum Kozain Groundwork [12]
2012ProsePeter DunseithThe Bird of Heaven [1] [13]
2011DramaNicholas SpagnolettiLondon Road [1] [14]
Mike van GraanIago's Last Dance
2010Poetry Finuala Dowling Notes from the Dementia Ward [6]
2009Prose Michael Cawood Green For The Sake of Silence [15]
2008DramaNo award [16]
2007Poetry Rustum Kozain This Carting Life [17]
2006Prose Jane Taylor Of Wild Dogs [18] [19]
Russel BrownleeGarden of the Plagues
2005Drama John Kani Nothing but the Truth [1]
2004Poetry Isobel Dixon Weather Eye [1]
2003Prose Hugh Lewin Bandiet out of Jail [1]
2002DramaXoli NormanHallelujah! [1]
2001Poetry Mzi Mahola When Rains Come [1]
2000Prose Antjie Krog Country of My Skull [1]
1999DramaMoira LovellBedtime Stories [1]
1998PoetryDan WylieThe Road Out [1]
1997Prose Zakes Mda Ways of Dying [1]
1996Drama Zakes Mda The Nun's Romantic Story [1]
1995Poetry Allan James Morning Near Genadendal [1]
1994ProseDeena PadayacheeWhat's Love Got to Do with It? [1]
1993DramaNo award [1]
1992Poetry Tatamkulu Afrika Nine Lives [1]
1991Prose Ivan Vladislavic Missing Persons [1]
1990DramaNorman CoombeA Snake in the Garden [1]
1989Poetry Kelwyn Sole Blood of Our Silence [1]
1988ProseJohn ConynghamThe Arrowing of the Cane [1]
1987DramaNo award [1]
1986Poetry Lionel Abrahams Journal of a New Man [1]
1985Prose Menan du Plessis A State of Fear
1984DramaJunction Avenue Theatre CompanyRandlords and Rotgut [20]
1983Poetry Chris Mann New Shades
1982Prose Rose Zwi Another Year In Africa
1981DramaNo award
1980Poetry Patrick Cullinan Today Is Not Different [21]
Chris van Wyk It Is Time to Go Home
1979Prose Ahmed Essop The Hajji And Other Stories
1978Drama John Cundill Redundant & Waiting
1977Poetry Robert Greig Talking Bull
1976Prose Sheila Roberts Outside Life's Feast
1975Drama Douglas Livingstone A Rhino For the Boardroom
1974Poetry Oswald Mtshali The Sounds of a Cowhide Drum
1973Prose Sheila Fugard The Castaway
1972DramaNo award
1971PoetryElias PaterIn Praise of Night [3]
1970ProseNo award [3]
1969DramaNo award [3]
1968Poetry Sydney Clouts One Life [3]
1967ProseM. F. C. RoebuckNyitso [3]
1966DramaNo award [3]
1965PoetryNo award [3]
1964Prose Anna M. Louw 20 Days That Autumn [3]
1963DramaH. W. D. MansonThe Noose-Knot Ballad [3]
1962ProseNo award [3]
1961PoetryF. D. SinclairHis work [3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 "Awards and Prizes". English Academy of Southern Africa. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mulgrew, Nick (2018-08-20). "Enter The 2018 Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose". PEN South Africa. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Akademiepryse 1909–". Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  4. "Proceedings of the English Academy of Southern Africa" . English Academy Review. 15 (1): 349–360. 1998-12-01. doi:10.1080/10131759885310181. ISSN   1013-1752.
  5. Frankel, Norman (2016-01-08). The Grants Register 1985–1987. Springer. p. 295. ISBN   978-1-349-06829-6.
  6. 1 2 "Finuala Dowling and Michiel Heyns Win the English Academy's Olive Schreiner and Thomas Pringle Prizes". Sunday Times Books. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  7. "Hugh Lewin awarded Olive Schreiner Prize". The Mail & Guardian. 2003-10-24. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  8. "uHlanga". uHlanga. 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  9. "Literary awards: 'Tis the season to toast the best of local authors". The Mail & Guardian. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  10. "Jill Nudelman and Imran Garda win 2015 Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose". Sunday Times Books. 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  11. "Imran Garda's novel The Thunder That Roars wins the 2015 Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose". Sunday Times Books. 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  12. "Rustum Kozain Wins Second Olive Schreiner Prize for Groundwork". Sunday Times Books. 2014-04-04. Archived from the original on 2014-04-17. Retrieved 2025-02-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  13. "Peter Dunseith and Lauren van Vuuren Receive 2013 English Academy Olive Schreiner and Thomas Pringle Awards". Sunday Times Books. 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  14. "Literary awards 2011/2012 update" (PDF). Western Cape Government. 2012. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  15. "Michael Cawood Green Wins the Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose, for For the Sake of Silence". Sunday Times Books. 2010-04-21. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  16. "David Medalie Wins the 2008 Pringle Prize for Short Fiction". Sunday Times Books. 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  17. "Rustum Kozain Wins the Olive Schreiner Prize". Sunday Times Books. 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  18. "Brownlee, Taylor Share Olive Schreiner Prize". Sunday Times Books. 2007-01-08. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  19. Loker, Byron (2007-01-04). "Russel Brownlee, Jane Taylor win Olive Schreiner Prize for Prose". iBhuku. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  20. "At the Junction". Wits University Press. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2021-11-23.
  21. "Obituary: The warmth and laughter of Chris van Wyk". Mail & Guardian. 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2021-11-23.