University of Johannesburg Prize

The University of Johannesburg Prize
Awarded for	Best work of creative writing
Location	Johannesburg, South Africa
Presented by	University of Johannesburg
Formerly called	RAU-Prys vir Skeppende Skryfwerk
Reward(s)	R70 000 / R35 000 / R50 000

The University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing, also known as the UJ Prize, is awarded annually by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) for the best creative works in each of five categories: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Northern Sotho, and Literary Translation. ^[1] There are usually two prizes, a main prize and a debut prize, in each category. The prizes are not linked to a specific genre, and each year's prize rewards work published in the previous year. ^[2] The winner of the main prize in each category receives R70 000, the winner of each debut prize receives R35 000, and the winner of the Literary Translation prize receives R50 000. ^[1]

The Afrikaans prize has been awarded since 2001, but was previously called the RAU-Prys vir Skeppende Skyfwerk (RAU Prize for Creative Writing) and located at Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). ^[3] In 2005, when RAU was merged with other institutions to establish UJ, the name of the prize was changed and the English category was introduced.

The Zulu, Northern Sotho, and Literary Translation prizes were awarded for the first time in 2021, with any work published between 2018 and 2020 eligible for entry. ^[1]

Marlene van Niekerk, Willem Anker and S.J. Naudé have each won the Afrikaans prize three times; English translations of novels by Anker and Naudé have also won the UJ Literary Translation Prize, once each; in Naudé's case, he translated his own work.

Prizes for South African Writing in English

Winners of the English prize (2009-2023)

Year	Prize	Winner	Work	Genre	Ref.
2024	Main	Morabo Morojele	Three Egg Dilemma	Fiction	[4]
	Debut	Jarred Thompson	The Institute for Creative Dying	Fiction
2023	Main	CA Davids	How to Be a Revolutionary	Fiction	[5]
	Debut	Pulane Mlilo Mpondo	Things My Mother Left Me	Fiction
2022	Main	Mandla Langa	The Lost Language of the Soul	Fiction	[6]
	Debut	A’Eysha Kassiem	Suitcase of Memory	Fiction
		Lisa-Anne Julien	If You Save Me	Fiction
2021	Main	Jacob Dlamini	Safari Nation	Non-fiction	[7]
	Debut	Rešoketšwe Manenzhe	Scatterlings	Fiction
		Jamil F. Khan	Khamr: The Making of a Waterslams	Memoir
2020	No prizes awarded				[8]
2019	Main	Gabeba Baderoon	The History of Intimacy	Poetry	[9]
	Debut	Mphuthumi Ntabeni	The Broken River Tent	Historical fiction
2018	Main	Lesego Rampolokeng	Bird-Monk Seding	Fiction	[10]
	Debut	Barbara Boswell	Grace	Fiction
2017	Main	Nthikeng Mohlele	Pleasure	Fiction	[11]
	Debut	Mohale Mashigo	The Yearning	Fiction
2016	Main	Craig Higginson	The Dream House	Fiction	[12]
	Debut	Eliza Kentridge	Signs for an Exhibition	Poetry
		Nkosinathi Sithole	Hunger Eats a Man	Fiction
2015	Main	Zakes Mda	Rachel's Blue	Fiction	[13]
	Debut	Penny Busetto	The Story of Anna P, As Told By Herself	Fiction
2014	Main	Lauren Beukes	The Shining Girls	Fiction	[14]
	Debut	Dominique Botha	False River	Fiction
2013	Main	Ken Barris	Life Underwater	Fiction	[15]
	Debut	Steven Boykey Sidley	Entanglement	Fiction
2012	Main	Craig Higginson	The Landscape Painter	Fiction	[16]
	Debut	Terry Westby-Nunn	The Sea of Wise Insects	Fiction
2011	Main	Ivan Vladislavic	Double Negative	Fiction	[17]
	Debut	Shaida Ali	Not a Fairy Tale	Fiction
2010	Main	Imraan Coovadia	High Low In-between	Fiction	[18]
	Debut	Jacob Dlamini	Native Nostalgia	Non-fiction
2009	Main	Dalmon Galgut	The Impostor	Fiction	[19]
	Debut	Chris Marnewick	Shepherds and Butchers	Fiction

Prizes for South African Writing in Afrikaans

Winners of the Afrikaans prize

Year	Prize	Winner	Work	Ref.
2025	Main	Ingrid Winterbach	Onrus op Steynshoop	[20]
	Debut	Gaireyah Friedericks	Een voet inni kabr
2024	Main	S.J. Naudé	Van vaders en vlugtelinge	[21]
2023	Main	Antjie Krog	Plunder	[22]
	Debut	Carien Smith	BOT
2022	Main	S.J. Naudé	Dol heuning	[23]
	Debut	Ashwin Arendse	Swatland
		Frederik de Jager	Man op ‘n fiets êrens heen
2021	Main	Willem Anker	Skepsel	[24]
	Debut	Ryan Pedro	Pienk ceramic-hondjies
2020	Main	Etienne van Heerden	Die biblioteek aan die einde van die wêreld	[3]
	Debut	Ruan Kemp	Gedeeltelik Bewolk
2019	Main	Charl-Pierre Naudé	Die ongelooflike onskuld van Dirkie Verwey	[3]
	Debut	Lodewyk G. Du Plessis	Die dao van Daan van der Walt
2018	Main	S.J. Naudé	Die derde spoel	[3]
	Debut	Jolyn Phillips	Radbraak
2017	Main	John Miles	Op 'n dag, 'n hond	[3]
	Debut	Bibi Slippers	Fotostaatmasjien
2016	Main	Ena Jansen	Soos familie	[3]
	Debut	Roela Hattingh	Kamee
2015	Main	Willem Anker	Buys	[3]
	Debut	Stephanus Muller	Nagmusiek
2014	Main	Marlene van Niekerk	Kaar	[3]
	Debut	Dominique Botha	Valsrivier
2013	Main	Ingrid Winterbach	Die aanspraak van lewede wesens	[3]
	Debut	André Kruger	Die twee lewens van Dieter Ondracek
2012	Main	Dan Sleigh	Wals met Matilda	[3]
	Debut	S.J. Naudé	Alfabet van die voëls
2011	Main	Marlene van Niekerk	Die sneeuslaper	[3]
	Debut	Nicole Jaekel Strauss	Maal
2010	Main	Elsa Joubert	Reisiger	[3]
	Debut	Karin Brynard	Plaasmoord
2009	Main	Etienne van Heerden	30 Nagte in Amsterdam	[3]
	Debut	Loftus Marais	Staan in die algemeen nader aan vensters
2008	Main	Breyten Breytenbach	Die windvanger	[3]
	Debut	Willem Anker	Siegfried
2007	Main	Ingrid Winterbach	Die boek van toeval en toeverlaat	[3]
	Debut	Danie Marais	In die buitenste ruimte
2006	Main	André P. Brink	Bidsprinkaan	[3]
	Debut	Marlize Hobbs	Flarde
2005	Main	Marlene van Niekerk	Agaat	[3]
2004	Main	Abraham H. de Vries	Tot verhaal kom	[3]
	Debut	Marius Crous	Brief uit die kolonies
2003	Main	Dan Sleigh	Eilande	[3]
	Debut	Nini Bennett	Stoornis
2002	Main	Rachelle Greeff	Merke van die nag	[3]
	Debut	Nanette van Rooyen	Om te vlerk
2001	Main	Antjie Krog	Kleur kom nooit alleen nie	[3]

Prizes for Creative Writing in Zulu

Winners of the Zulu prize (2021-2023)

Year	Prize	Winner	Work	Genre	Ref.
2024	Main	Ayanda Mchunu	Angikaze Ngikubone Okunje	Drama	[25]
	Debut	Ethekwini writers	Iqoqo lezindatshana	Short stories
2023	Main	Ndabayakhe William Zulu	Emzileni KaShaka	Historical fiction	[26]
2022	Main	Ntombenhle Protasia Dlamini	Zinoju Zulu	Poetry	[27]
		Khanyelihle Mnguni	Kusazoba Mnandi	Short stories
	Debut	Sandile Ngwenya	Imali Yezipoki	YA fiction
2021	Main	E.D.M. Sibiya	Isibusiso Nezinyembezi	Poetry anthology	[28]
	Debut	Mbusiseni Bhenya	UGovana kaGovana	Drama

Prizes for Creative Writing in Northern Sotho (Sesotho sa Leboa)

Winner of the Northern Sotho prize (2011-2023)

Year	Prize	Winner	Work	Genre	Ref.
2024	Main	Morema Jack Mabotja	Lentšu le a Khorwa	Drama	[25]
	Debut	Mashikane W Madigoe	Tšhidi ya Koma	Poetry
2023	Main	Moses Seletisha	Eto la Mofaladi	Biography	[26]
	Debut	Ntloro Charlotte Pebane	Lerato la Lepheko	Fiction
2022	Main	PM Mashilo & MT Masha	Ditsakauma Tša Marumo	Various	[27]
	Debut	Kholofelo Thaba	Sedibeng sa Komelelo	Poetry
		Mahlatsi Maqwenjo	Bohlale bjo foufetšego	Fiction
2021	Main	Kobate John Sekele	Madimabe a Lešoko	Fiction	[28]

Prizes for Literary Translation

The translation prize is awarded for the translation of a literary text from any language into any one of the official South African languages. There is no debut prize for literary translation; instead, there is a prize for the translation of a youth text. ^[1]

Winners of the Literary Translation prize (2021-2023)

Year	Prize	Winner	Work	Language	Ref.
2024	Main	Louise Cilliers	Van Alexandrië na Ithaka (original by Konstantinos Kavafis)	Greek to Afrikaans	[29]
2023	Main	Henrietta Rose-Innes	A Library to Flee (Die biblioteek aan die einde van die wêreld by Etienne van Heerden)	Afrikaans to English	[30]
2022	Main	S.J. Naudé	Mad Honey (Dol heuning by the same author)	Afrikaans to English	[27]
2021	Main	Michiel Heyns	Red Dog (Buys by Willem Anker)	Afrikaans to English	[28]
	Youth Text	Nathan Trantraal	Lang pad onnetoe (Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds)	English to Afrikaans

References

1. "UJ recognises multilingual ethos with creative writing prizes". University of Johannesburg. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
2. "Shortlists for the 2012/2013 University of Johannesburg Prizes for South African Writing in English". Books LIVE. Retrieved June 07, 2013.
3. "UJ-pryse vir Afrikaans" (PDF). University of Johannesburg (in Afrikaans). Retrieved 2024-09-05.
4. Mahala, Siphiwo. "UJ Prize 2024: Morabo Morojele and Jarred Thompson win big with thought-provoking novels". News24. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
5. Malec, Jennifer (2023-09-12). "2023 UJ Prizes for South African Writing in English winners announced". The Johannesburg Review of Books . Retrieved 2024-09-05.
6. Malec, Jennifer (2022-10-03). "2022 UJ Prizes for South African Writing in English winners announced". The Johannesburg Review of Books . Retrieved 2024-09-05.
7. Malec, Jennifer (2021-10-13). "2021 UJ Prizes for South African Writing in English winners announced". The Johannesburg Review of Books . Retrieved 2021-11-08.
8. Malec, Jennifer (2021-10-06). "Shortlists announced for 2021 UJ Prizes for South African Writing in English". The Johannesburg Review of Books. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
9. "Gabeba Baderoon and Mphuthumi Ntabeni win the UJ Prizes for South African Writing"
10. "Lesego Rampolokeng and Barbara Boswell win the UJ Prizes for South African Writing"
11. "University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing in English 2016 winners announced"
12. "Craig Higginson, Eliza Kentridge and Nkosinathi Sithole win the 2015/16 University of Johannesburg Prizes"
13. "Zakes Mda and Penny Busetto Win the 2014/2015 University of Johannesburg Prizes for South African Writing (English)"
14. "Lauren Beukes and Dominique Botha Win the 2013/2014 University of Johannesburg Prizes"
15. "Ken Barris and Steven Boykey Sidley win the 2012/2013 University of Johannesburg Prizes"
16. "Craig Higginson and Terry Westby-Nunn Win the 2011/2012 University of Johannesburg Prizes"
17. "Ivan Vladislavic and Shaida Kazie Ali Win the 2010/2011 University of Johannesburg Prizes for Creative Writing"
18. "Imraan Coovadia and Jacob Dlamini Win the 2010 University of Johannesburg Prizes"
19. "Literary awards: 2009/2010 update" (PDF). Western Cape Government. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
20. "Deurwinterde skrywer wen gesogte UJ-prys vir Afrikaans". Maroela Media (in Afrikaans). 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
21. "Dié skrywer wen gesogte UJ-prys". Maroela Media (in Afrikaans). 2024-06-21. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
22. "Persverklaring: Wenners van die 2023-UJ-debuutprys en die 2023-UJ-prys". Litnet. 2023-04-03. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
23. "Persverklaring: Wenners van die 2022-UJ-debuutprys en die 2022-UJ-prys bekend". Litnet. 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
24. "2021 UJ-pryse: Wenners aangekondig/Winners announced". NB Publishers. 2021-03-21. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
25. Tshifura, Lutendo (2024-09-06). "UJ announces 2024 winners for Creative Writing in isiZulu and Sesotho sa Leboa - University of Johannesburg News" . Retrieved 2025-05-28.
26. "2023 UJ Creative writing prize winners in isiZulu and Sesotho sa Leboa revealed". University of Johannesburg. 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
27. "Winners announced for the 2022 UJ Prize for Creative Writing and Literary Translation". University of Johannesburg. 2022-07-21. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
28. "Announcement of winners: UJ Prize for Creative Writing in isiZulu; Sesotho sa Leboa and for Literary Translation". University of Johannesburg. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-11-08.
29. "Scaena Theatre: Boom! (Afrikaans) 7-9 May". www.ufs.ac.za. Retrieved 2025-05-28.
30. Malec, Jennifer (2023-10-04). "Henrietta Rose-Innes wins 2023 UJ Prize for Literary Translation". The Johannesburg Review of Books . Retrieved 2024-09-05.