Sunday Times

‘S SUNDAY TIMES LITERARY AWARDS LONGLIST

- Rehana Rossouw

THIS is the 17th edition of the Sunday Times fiction prize, named for Barry Ronge, the arts commentato­r who was one of the founders of our literary awards. The criteria stipulate that the winning novel should be one of “rare imaginatio­n and style . . . a tale so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contempora­ry fiction”. OUTH African authors are spoiled for choice. Their local stories are stitched into a tapestry of a landscape ranging from tropical heat to dusty dorps. The longlist this year contains titles that weave the land and the people into compelling tales. Some authors deal with historical dispossess­ion and despair; others discover the magic hidden in thick foliage and stark dustlands. All the authors examine the essence of a people propelled by a dream and led astray by dreamers — some with deft touches and others with scream-with-laughter satire. Crime remains a distinct theme but there’s always love; often sweet and sometimes twisted. It is going to be a struggle this year to choose one winner from a list that contains works by writers presenting their country in words that strike at the heart and linger on the synapses.” —

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