Penguin Books Blog

Lauren Liebenberg’s The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam has been shorlisted in the Debut Prize category.

Some of the most exciting names in South African literature are on the shortlist for the UJ Prizes for Creative Writing in English. The shortlist has been compiled from 60 submitted works.

The panel of seven adjudicators has agreed on a shortlist of possible winners:

Main Prize:

Damon Galgut – The Impostor

Michiel Heyns – Bodies Politic

Jonny Steinberg – Three Letter Plague

Finuala Dowling – Notes from the Dementia Ward

Debut Prize:

Peter Harris – In a Different Time

Chris Marnewick – Shephards and Butchers

Lauren Liebenberg – The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam

These works have been well received by critics. The prize winners will be announced within the next two weeks and the prizes will be presented at a gala ceremony later in the year.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In 2006, the University of Johannesburg instituted two prizes for Creative Writing in English:

The UJ Prize for the best creative work in English; and

The UJ Prize for the best creative debut work in English.

The value of the prizes is:

The UJ Prize for the best creative work in English; andThe UJ Prize for the best creative debut work in English.The UJ Prize: R50 000

The UJ Debut Prize: R10 000

Requirements:

The UJ Prize is awarded to the writer of the best original creative work in English published in the previous calendar year. The UJ Debut Prize is awarded to the writer of the best original creative debut work in English published in the previous calendar year.

The prize-winners will be announced in June and the prizes awarded later in the year.