Four Blake Friedmann authors shortlisted for the M-Net Literary Awards 2012

M-Net has announced the shortlists for its annual literary awards, which include four Blake Friedmann clients. These prizes are awarded in South Africa to authors of novels written in English, Afrikaans and African languages. This year the lists include Caine Prize winner Henrietta Rose-Innes's NINEVEH; the 'King of South African Crime Fiction' Deon Meyer's, 7 DAE; Michiel Heyns's LOST GROUND which has already won the Sunday Times Award, and Finuala Dowling's witty and moving HOMEMAKING FOR THE DOWN-AT-HEART. The winners will be announced on Friday, 19 October at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg.

Previous winners of the award include Ivan Vladislavic, whose novel, DOUBLE NEGATIVE, won last year at the 50th anniversary of the prize.

Click here for the full shortlists.
 

Praise for NINEVEH (Henrietta Rose-Innes)
'This is a thought-provoking, densely imagined work of fiction in which no detail is out of place. It is a seamless and unusual blend of different modes of writing - the comic, the gothic and the social realist. It will appeal to any reader willing to ask questions and probe beneath the surface of our familiar urban reality.' -- Rob Gaylard, Cape Argus

'A gripping, thrilling allegory of a troubled nation, NINEVEH is executed with wit, panache, precision and something that I can only call wounded love for the country the author calls her home.' -- Neel Mukherjee

Rose-Innes's writing is as entertaining as it is subtle - a rare combination. ' -- Steven Amsterdam

 
Praise for 7 DAYS (Deon Meyer)
'Sleekly done crime thriller, layered with the cultural complexities of South Africa.' -- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist

'Meyer is good with sexy plot complications…but the book's main strength is in its characters…Griessel is flawed but likable, and his trials give a bittersweet edge to a strong mystery.' -- Kirkus Reviews

'Superior prose and characterization' -- Publisher's Weekly

Praise for LOST GROUND (Michiel Heyns)
'LOST GROUND is among the finest books to have been published in the last few years. Well-written, engaging and almost perfectly paced.' -- M Blackman, Sunday Independent

'LOST GROUND is deceptively packaged as a crime novel, but landing explosively in the heart as only literature can, Heyns's wonderful book has a reach wide enough to hold even the fussiest and most easily bored of readers.' -- Karin Schimke, The Star

'The short review of this book is simply this: it's remarkable...It's hard to know how Michiel Heyns does it -- part magician, part juggler and fine linguist, he presents a novel that is as mysteriously alluring, yet as simple as the photo of some smalltown street on the cover.' -- Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian
 

Praise for HOMEMAKING FOR THE DOWN-AT-HEART (Finuala Dowling)
'This is a delightful and comforting read for anyone who has tried to juggle her own needs with those of a family. Most especially, though, it is perfect for the home-maker who may very well be down-at-heart.' -- Janet van Eeden, Witness

'It is a swift read, but full of complexity and challenge....graceful and thoughtful.' -- Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Garden 



'Brilliantly funny.' -- Diane Awerbuck, TimesLive

BFLA clients Heyns and Lewin win SA's premier Fiction and NF prize!

Blake Friedmann clients Michiel Heyns and Hugh Lewin won the fiction and non-fiction sections of the Sunday Times Literary Awards, among South Africa's most sought-after prizes.

Michiel Heyns won the Sunday Times Fiction Prize for LOST GROUND, having previously featured at the Sunday Times Awards in 2007, when he was recognised for his translation of Blake Friedmann client Marlene van Niekerk's acclaimed Afrikaans novel, AGAAT. LOST GROUND had recently also been awarded the Herman Charles Bosman Prize.

Hugh Lewin accepted the 24th Alan Paton prize for his book, STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR, which chronicles his journey to meet the former comrade who informed on him to the South African security police in 1964, resulting in Lewin's long jail sentence.

Prishani Naidoo, who chaired the Alan Paton judging panel, described Lewin's memoir: "It speaks in very moving ways to the truth of the character of experiences of friendship, politics and life in apartheid South Africa."

For more info click here.

Praise for STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR:

'A brave and moving memoir.' -- Tymon Smith, The Sunday Times

'Written with incredible grace and insight.' -- Ivan Vladislavic

'By writing this Hugh Lewin allows complete strangers to travel deep into his psyche and view his truest feelings and darkest thoughts.  An interesting read that spotlights previously unknown knowledge to the historical events in South Africa.' --Lloyd Mackenzie, The Mercury

'Hugh Lewin's astounding new book titled STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR tells the most touching story of two intimate friends who decide to join the fight against apartheid in the 1960s.  What the beautiful story of these two men demonstrates is that it is still possible to find forgiveness, healing and reconciliation before it's too late . . . This is by far the best book written and published in 2011, and I would be very surprised if it did not win the Alan Paton award for non-fiction in 2012.' -- Jonathan Jansen, The Times

'Hugh Lewin weaves a powerful tale, showing a master craftsman at work... a deeply moving memoir' -- Nalini Naidoo, The Witness

'This is the book that was waiting to be written. There have been many accounts of life in the active struggle against the apartheid regime but this one is a fearless exploration into the deepest ground - the personal moral ambiguity of betrayal under brutal interrogation-actual betrayal of the writer by most trusted associate and closest friend; and the lifetime question of whether one would have betrayed that same friend under such circumstances, oneself. Hugh Lewin is the man to have faced this with the courage of a fine writer. Unforgettable, invaluable in facing now the ambiguities of our present and future' -- Nadine Gordimer

'Lewin's STONE AGAINST THE MIRROR is a must read.' -- Isaac Ndlovu, LiNet

Praise for LOST GROUND:
Winner of Herman Charles Bosman Prize 2012

'LOST GROUND is so much more than just great storytelling. It is Heyns's mastery of language, his wonderful sense of place, and deftly drawn characters that make this book superlative. I loved it.' -- Deon Meyer

'A remarkable combination of erudite and accessible. ... it will delight a very wide range of readers.' -- Maya Fowler, book.co.za.

'The short review of this book is simply this: it's remarkable,...It's hard to know how Michiel Heyns does it -- part magician, part juggler and fine linguist, he presents a novel that is as mysteriously alluring, yet as simple as the photo of some dorp street on the cover.' -- Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian

'LOST GROUND is the novel Michiel Heyns was always going to write: one that brings together all his many talents -a highly pedigreed writing style…, brilliantly witty satire, a nuanced and convincing rendering of place, people and time, a gay counter-narrative, and the type of dialogue that only a committed eavesdropper can produce.  It is, in short, the best of THE CHILDREN'S DAY combined with the best of THE RELUCTANT PASSENGER, THE TYPEWRITER'S TALE and BODIES POLITIC…. Without obviously "ticking boxes", Heyns knows just how to characterise contemporary South Africa. Whether you read it as a whodunit or as a portrait of the nation, LOST GROUND is utterly compelling - exquisitely written, profound, hilarious and hauntingly familiar.' -- Finuala Dowling, slipnet.co.za

'LOST GROUND grows lush out of the simplest elements of outstanding story-making. Believable story facts, entertaining dialogue, gentle tension that builds gradually, an acute sense of time, place and character, and humour, enliven this South African dorp story. Deceptively packaged as a crime novel, but landing explosively in the heart as only literature can, Heyns's wonderful book has a reach wide enough to hold even the fussiest and most easily bored of readers.' -- Karin Schimke, The Star

Michiel Heyns, Henrietta Rose-Innes and Hugh Lewin on the Sunday Times fiction and non-fiction shortlists.

Michiel Heyns, Henrietta Rose-Innes and Hugh Lewin are on the Sunday Times fiction and non-fiction shortlists. The shortlist for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize was announced on the 12th May 2012 at the Franschhoek Literary Festival.

The fiction list features Henrietta Rose-Innes (Nineveh), Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy), Adam Schwartzman (Eddie Signwriter),  Michiel Heyns (Lost Ground) and debut novelist HJ Golakai (The Lazarus Effect).

The shortlist for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award was announced on the same evening and this year sees six titles on a shortlist usually limited to five. The list includes Andrew Feinstein (The Shadow World), Anton Harber (Diepsloot), Jonny Steinberg (Little Liberia) , Mandy Wiener (Killing Kebble), McIntosh Polela (My Father, My Monster) and Hugh Lewin (Stones Against the Mirror).

The winners of each prize, awarded last year to Ronnie Kasrils for The Unlikely Secret Agent and to Sifiso Mzobe for Young Blood, will be announced at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on 21 June.

Praise for LOST GROUND:
Also shortlisted for Herman Charles Bosman Prize 2012
'The short review of this book is simply this: it's remarkable ...It's hard to know how Michiel Heyns does it - he is part magician, part juggler and fine linguist.' --Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian

'A whodunit with a difference…The surprising end is the cherry on top. Read this book.' -- Dries Brunt, The Citizen
'The style is a remarkable combination of erudite and accessible. How many writers can achieve that?…Razor-sharp satire…It's wildly entertaining, and I suspect that it will delight a very wide range of readers.' -- Maya Fowler, book.co.za.

Praise for NINEVEH:
'A gripping, thrilling allegory of a troubled nation, NINEVEH is executed with wit, panache, precision and something that I can only call wounded love for the country the author calls her home.' -- Neel Mukherjee, author of A LIFE APART

'This is a thought-provoking, densely imagined work of fiction in which no detail is out of place. It is a seamless and unusual blend of different modes of writing - the comic, the gothic and the social realist. It will appeal to any reader willing to ask questions and probe beneath the surface of our familiar urban reality.' -- Rob Gaylard, Cape Argus

'This wonderful novel may be about dysfunctional families and pestilence but it's loaded with sly, dark humour and would make a great comedy film. You can't help loving the Grubbs clan with all their faults and the depiction of Nineveh as some kind of biblical theme park adds an element of magical realism. A hugely entertaining read from this talented SA writer.' -- Willem Moeller, YOU Magazine

Praise for STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR:
'Written with incredible grace and insight.' -- Ivan Vladislavic

'Hugh Lewin's astounding new book titled STONES AGAINST THE MIRROR tells the most touching story of two intimate friends who decide to join the fight against apartheid in the 1960s.  What the beautiful story of these two men demonstrates is that it is still possible to find forgiveness, healing and reconciliation before it's too late . . . This is by far the best book written and published in 2011, and I would be very surprised if it did not win the Alan Paton award for non-fiction in 2012.' -- Jonathan Jansen, The Times

'Hugh Lewin weaves a powerful tale, showing a master craftsman at work... a deeply moving memoir' -- Nalini Naidoo, The Witness

GALLOWS HILL and LOST GROUND on the Herman Charles Bosman Prize shortlist

Media24 Books has announced the shortlists for its 2012 Literary Awards. Celebrating literary excellence, these prizes are awarded annually to South African authors and Margie Orford's GALLOWS HILL and Michiel Heyns' LOST GROUND have both been shortlisted for the Herman Charles Bosman Prize for English literature. Finuala Dowling's HOMEMAKING FOR THE DOWN AT HEART is also shortlisted for the prize.

The winners will be announced at an award ceremony on Friday, 8 June 2012.

Margie Orford's Clare Hart series has been translated into Czech, French, Dutch, Spanish, Russian and German. Michiel Heyns's novels are published in the US, France, and Holland.

Praise for Margie Orford and GALLOWS HILL:
'Margie Orford is the queen of South African crime thriller writers…The energy Margie Orford creates between her characters and the tautness of her plots is attracting new readers and publishers every month.' -- Sue Grant-Marshall, The Weekender

'Orford plots so brilliantly that to stop reading is as harrowing as to carry on.' -- Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph

'I'm a crime thriller junkie, and GALLOWS HILL fulfilled all the fixes I needed. … This was the first time, I had read this author, and won't be the last.' -- Elaine Ash, Pretoria News

'Margie Orford's pacy dialogue and expert twist of the genre's base elements is masterful. GALLOWS HILL is the fourth book in the Clare Hart series and a great reason for any crime thriller fan to acquire the preceding titles.' -- Nicole Roughley, Fairlady Magazine

Praise for Michiel Heyns and LOST GROUND:
'Michiel Heyns is part magician, part juggler and fine linguist.' -- Jane Rosenthal, Mail & Guardian

'LOST GROUND is a superbly crafted and compelling portrayal of loss and discovery. Heyns writes with absolute honesty, exploring the human condition with deep compassion and wit. His story transcends the confines of a small-town location to expose the innate insecurities that determine all of our relationships, struck through with irony and regret. Heyns writes with such grace and dignity, he deserves our praise and unqualified envy.' -- Andrew Brown

'LOST GROUND is the novel Michiel Heyns was always going to write: one that brings together all his many talents - a highly pedigreed writing style…brilliantly witty satire, a nuanced and convincing rendering of place, people and time, a gay counter-narrative, and the type of dialogue that only a committed eavesdropper can produce.  It is, in short, the best of THE CHILDREN'S DAY combined with the best of THE RELUCTANT PASSENGER, THE TYPEWRITER'S TALE and BODIES POLITIC…Without obviously "ticking boxes", Heyns knows just how to characterise contemporary South Africa…Whether you read it as a whodunit or as a portrait of the nation, LOST GROUND is utterly compelling - exquisitely written, profound, hilarious and hauntingly familiar.' -- Finuala Dowling, slipnet.co.za

'On the surface a gripping story of jealousy, lust, racial conflict and murder, LOST GROUND lays bare the struggle of a man to resist his past and its implications. A powerful tale of complicity, lost friendship and the lengths to which people go to protect themselves from truths that might destroy them.' -- Charles Lambert, author of LITTLE MONSTERS and ANY HUMAN FACE.