Renowned local artist, Jane Bauling, recently made the shortlist for the highly sought-after Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature.
Born in England, Bauling moved to Johannesburg and later to her current home in White River. Her stay here coincides with an exploration of new writing directions – youth fiction, short stories and poetry. Her book Dreaming of Light also won the 2012 gold Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature. “This is the third time I’ve had an entry shortlisted for this prize. The second time it happened, my novel Dreaming of Light won the gold prize and has since been DBE-approved for schools – grade 11 English first additional language – and was chosen to represent SA on the IBBY Honour List (International Board on Books for Youth). The prize can prove a valuable launching pad for a novel.
This time around, I have to admit to some surprise as my novel New Keepers (around 53 000 words) is obviously book one of an intended series, possibly a trilogy, but even just being shortlisted can be a useful selling point to get a novel published and out there,” said Bauling.
Six finalists are included in each category which includes English, Afrikaans and African languages. The total prize money amounts to R54 000. The winner (gold) receives R12 000 and R6 000 for the runner-up (silver) in each category.
“As Wealthsmiths, we have a deep understanding and respect for what it takes to turn the 26 letters of the alphabet into something of great value. The Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature celebrates writers’ ability to make the most of what they have. Their books create enriching experiences for our youth. They have the ability to take readers on journeys that will make them cry or scare them, as well as to places that will stay with them forever,” said Elena Meyer, senior manager of sponsorships for Sanlam.
The winners will be announced in October and the prize-winning books will be available in bookshops and in e-book format afterwards.
The Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature was launched in 1980 and is awarded every second year. This year Sanlam introduced the “250 Words a Day” campaign to make the competition more accessible to young and upcoming writers. “By joining the ‘250 Words a Day’ group on Facebook, entrants had access to a panel of renowned authors who acted as writing mentors. To motivate would-be authors to complete their manuscripts before the closing date of October 7, 2016, they were encouraged to write 250 words every day,” said Meyer.
Author and mentor, Page Nick, said she loved being part of the project. “The thought of writing an entire book all at once is overwhelming, but breaking it down into chunks makes it much more doable. Congratulations to every writer who finished a piece and submitted it to the competition, it’s a huge achievement,” she added.
Apart from making the competition more interactive and reaching a broader audience, the total number of entries grew by 60 from the previous round.