Dinaane Debut Fiction Award

Scroll down for the entry form

Non-fiction takes the lion’s share of sales of books made in South Africa, with fiction limited to a very small percentage of all sales of locally published books. Many locally published novels sell just a few hundred copies, making it difficult for publishers to recoup the costs of publication from sales.

Sometimes wonderful, illuminating and challenging fiction doesn’t get published because publishers are more and more constrained by market forces. It is heart-breaking to silence these voices, as fiction is the one genre where the heartbeat of southern Africa is documented in an uncensored manner. We cannot allow it to disappear.

Accordingly, Dinaane, the only award of its kind, aims to promote new southern African fiction that speaks to both a local and international audience. It encourages new writers and new readers by publishing material which would likely otherwise not have been selected – for purely commercial reasons – by local publishers of literature.

The winning title is supported by Exclusive Books.

Winners of the European Union Literary Award include:

Dubsteps by Andrew Miller (2014)
The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself by Penny Busetto (2013)
Khalil’s Journey by Ashraf Kagee (2011/12)
Deeper than Colour by James Clelland (2010)
Saracen at the Gates by Zinaid Meeran (2009)
Till We Can Keep an Animal by Megan Voysey-Braig (2008)
Coconut by Kopano Matlwa (2007)
Bitches’ Brew by Fred Khumalo and Ice in the Lungs by Gerald Kraak (2005)
The Silent Minaret by Ishtiyaq Shukri (2004)

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The Dinaane Debut Fiction Award and Kraak Writing Grant winners for 2016

2016 Dinaane Debut Fiction Award.

Winner – Selling LipService

Runner Up – No Word Like Home

Runner Up – The Last Stop

2016 Kraak Writing Grant

Winner – Braids and Migraines

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RULES

• Submissions will be open from the 1 April 2017 to 31 May 2017.

• We welcome innovative writing and the exploration of languages capturing the multilingual landscape in South Africa and the world; nevertheless, the entries must be primarily in English.

• Only permanent residents or citizens of South Africa may apply.

• Authors must not have had a work of fiction (novel or novella) published prior to the award.

• The award is judged blind, so manuscripts that feature the author’s name or details by which they may be identified will be disqualified. The manuscript should be marked with the title of the work only.

• An electronic copy of the manuscript, along with a short biography (100 words or less) and author details should be submitted to Jacana Media via our website.

• In addition, three printed copies of the manuscript must be sent to Jacana Media, addressed to:

THE DINAANE DEBUT FICTION AWARD

C/O JACANA MEDIA

10 ORANGE STREET

SUNNYSIDE

AUCKLAND PARK

2092

JOHANNESBURG

SOUTH AFRICA

• Please use a font size of 12, Times New Roman and 1.5 spacing (no other formal formatting is required).

• Also insert page numbers.

• Please bind all three hard copies that you submit to us and print back to back.

• Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

• Manuscripts should be a minimum of 40 000 words in length. Short stories do not qualify. Submissions must have been authored

by one person. Co-authored pieces or works of collaboration do not qualify.

• Any entries that secure a publishing deal before the shortlist has been confirmed must be withdrawn by the author.

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Dinaane Award submission form

The Dinaane Debut Fiction Award (Entries close 31 May 2017 at 17:00)

Surname and first name

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Date of birth

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Physical address

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Postal code

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Home telephone

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Work telephone

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Cellular telephone

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Country of residence

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Email address

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Title of written work

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Please add a paragraph length synopsis about your book at the beginning of your manuscript.

Upload an electronic copy of your manuscript, either in MS Word or PDF (Size limit: 2mb) (*)

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Please add a paragraph length synopsis about your book.

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Please add a paragraph length biography about yourself written in the 3rd person.

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I certify that the entry is my original work of fiction and neither whole nor part of this entry has been used in any publication. I furthermore certify that I am a permanent resident or citizen of South Africa. If this is an award-winning entry, I further grant licence for publication by Jacana Media, which includes the right to market and distribute the work as they deem fit.(*)
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You have confirmed your details.

Have you - Submitted three printed hard copies of your manuscript, clearly marked with the title of your novel, but not your name?

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Included an electronic copy of your manuscript, either saved on disk or emailed to submissions@jacana.co.za?

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Filled in and signed this entry form?

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Disclaimer: Jacana Media assumes no responsibility for lost or misdirected entries. Jacana also reserves the right to edit for spelling and grammatical errors. Copyright remains with the writer, but Jacana reserves the right to use published materials however it deems fit.

Submissions are open to English works of fiction only.

Authors must not have had a work of fiction (novel or novella) published prior to the award.

The award is judged blind, so manuscripts which feature the author’s name or details by which they may be identified, will be disqualified. The manuscript should be marked with the title of the work only.

Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Manuscripts should be a minimum of 40 000 words in length. Short stories do not qualify.

Submissions must have been authored by one person. Co-authored pieces or works of collaboration do not qualify.

By entering their manuscript, authors agree not to submit their work for publication to any other avenues until the announcement of the shortlist. Any entries which secure a publishing deal before the shortlist has been confirmed will be disqualified.

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Results 1 - 8 of 8

Dinaane Debut Fiction Award

Dub Steps

The Story of Anna P, as Told by Herself

Khalil's Journey

Till We Can Keep an Animal

Deeper Than Colour

Saracen at the Gates

Ice in the Lungs

Coconut