Imraan Coovadia shortlisted for University of Johannesburg Prize, twice

Imraan Coovadia holds two of the three nominations for this year's main University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing in English. Both his novel THE INSTITUTE FOR TAXI POETRY and his collection of essays TRANSFORMATIONS have been shortlisted. The third title nominated is Ken Barris's LIFE UNDERWATER.

Previous winners include Damon Galgut and Blake Friedmann author Ivan Vladislavic, who was awarded it in 2007 for PORTRAIT WITH KEYS and in 2011 for DOUBLE NEGATIVE. Finuala Dowling and Michiel Heyns have also been shortlisted in the past.

The winner will be announced later this month, with the ceremony taking place later this year.

THE INSTITUTE FOR TAXI POETY has also been nominated for the South African Sunday Times Fiction Prize, which Imraan won in 2010 with his novel HIGH LOW IN-BETWEEN.

For more information, see this article on BooksLive.

Praise for Imraan Coovadia:

'Imraan Coovadia has a unique and marvellously talented voice.' -- Antjie Krog, author of COUNTRY OF MY SKULL

'Rather like a wittier Nuruddin Farah or a more politically sagacious V S Naipaul.' -- Isabel Hofmeyr, Sunday Independent

'Coovadia delivers…rollicking, entertaining prose. His dialogue is especially delicious.' -- Publishers Weekly

'Imraan Coovadia is turning into a national treasure as a novelist.' -- Jane Rosenthal