Sala breaks barriers in its search for new voices
Publishers urged to introduce more indigenous languages
Q&A with Morakabe Raks Seakhoa, project director at the South African Literary Awards (Sala), which have become the most prestigious event in the country.
What’s your aim each year in selecting nominees?
We aim to reach out to as many outstanding entries as possible, as well as break new ground and push barriers in subject matter.
We accept entries in all 11 official languages, but book publishers tend to overwhelmingly favour printing in English and Afrikaans.
How do you ensure that you find work that’s representative of our diversity?
We try as much as possible to get our message across: through traditional media (newspapers, radio, television), social media platforms, our own websites, publishing houses/organisations, writers’ organisations and word of mouth.
Are there any past Sala winners whose work stands out as you push the idea of what diverse SA literature can look like?
There are many. We’ve awarded our three national poet laureates, Mazisi Kunene, Keorapetse Kgositsile and Wally Mongane Serote, the Lifetime Achievement Literary Awardees as well as the late Nobel Literary Laureate Nadine Gordimer, Noni Jabavu, Eskia Mphahlele, Antjie Krog, Dan Sleigh Sindiwe Magona, Patrick Magaisa, Zukiswa Wanner, Credo Mutwa, Aletta Motimele and Etienne van Heerden as well as many others.
Many people think literary awards only cover novels, but we have 12 exciting categories, including various forms of journalism.
How do you decide what should be included (and excluded) as a literary work?
We get requests from different quarters for inclusion of categories: from members of the public, selection panel, adjudication panel, partners and so on. The Sala board then scrutinises the proposals and, when we’re satisfied, advises for or against a category.
You seem to frame your role as rewarding existing and promoting future literary excellence. Tell us about the legacy programme that you encourage award winners to be involved with?
The legacy programmes of Sala are the Africa Century International African Writers Conference, the Miriam Tlali Reading and Book Club and the Keorapetse Kgositsile Memorial Annual Lecture.
We’ve now also added a project, which donates books to schools, libraries and book clubs.
We’re particularly impressed by your book club and library projects. What do these involve and why are they so important to Sala?
The library and book club programme aims to create space for writers, readers and the public to access and discuss books and topical literary issues. We’re interested in interactive ways of promoting the culture of writing and reading, which means they sometimes host workshops or support book launches.
The club caters for both published and unpublished authors. We think it’s set to excite academics, bookworms and light readers alike. This year, 2019, is Unesco’s (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) year of indigenous languages.
What steps would you like publishers and readers to take to ensure that South African literature is celebrated?
Publish more books in indigenous languages and help create or improve platforms for everyone to interact with books.
Other than buying more local books, how can we all support emerging writers in our communities and build excitement around new local work?
We need more and accessible platforms for writing skills development programmes so that emerging writers can gain experience and produce highquality work.
Sala will roll out its creative writing skills development programme as soon as we’ve been able to raise the necessary resources.
How can people nominate or submit work for entry to the awards?
For 2019, the call for submissions is still open until the end of April, and the information can be accessed at www.sala.org.za or they can write to info@writeassociates.co.za. Reading and telling stories with your children is a powerful gift to them. It builds knowledge, language, imagination and school success.
For more information about the Nalibali campaign, or to access children’s stories in a range of South African languages, visit www.nalibali.org