The Mondi Paper Magazine Awards, initiated by Mondi Paper and MPASA over 13 years ago, bring to light the finest pieces of South African magazine journalism and acknowledge the people and publications behind them.
Peter Lynch, Mondi Paper's business manager for publication papers said, "The call for entries attracted a total of 673 submissions within the 15 categories. The judging panel narrowed this figure down to 62 finalists who contributed work from over 33 publications. In keeping with the contemporary nature of the magazine industry, we also introduced three business-to-business categories - Product Coverage, Systems Coverage and Industry Coverage - which collectively attracted 36 entries."
Harold Eedes, chairman of MPASA, added, "A Mondi Gold Nib is the highest award for magazine writing. For thirteen years, Mondi has helped the spirit of literary competition flourish in our industry and provided the publishing industry with a forum in which we can reward the current greats, and set the standards which the next set of winners will seek to better."
SL clinched five of the 15 coveted Mondi Golden Nibs. The publication's winning entries include "The Beach Boy" by Andy Davis (Leisure), various entries by Justine Tasker (Fashion), "Death by Hillbrow" by Nicole Turner (Essays and Fiction) and "Run Lola Run" by Janine Stephen (Features) with Darrel Bristow-Bovey winning the Reviews category. "In the Reviews category, judges focused on quality of language, descriptive power and the article's wide appeal and entertainment value. Darrel Bristow-Bovey distinguished himself in this category. His portfolio was entertaining, witty and crafted with flair," note the judges.
In the new Business-to-Business section, Suzette Scheepers' article "Waterless toilet tumble dries costs" - published in Housing in Southern Africa - gives her a first place in the Product Coverage category.
Jacqueline Leitch wins the Systems Coverage category for her articles in ReSource and IMIESA. Lucy Laing is the winner in the Industry Coverage category for her "Delighting in Denim: a wonder fabric" in Pursuit Clothing and Textile.
Afrikaans magazine VISI receives two Mondi Nibs, winning the At Home category with "Vat Vyf" by Annemarie Meintjes and the Design and Illustration category with various pieces by Jaco Janse van Rensburg. "To be a winner in the Design and Illustration category does not necessarily mean that a designer or illustrator has to do something that has never been seen or done before," say the judges. "It simply means that the principles of good design should be applied intelligently and creatively to the task at hand. And this is exactly what our winners did."
The Business category winner is Stephanie Nieuwoudt for her article "'n Netelige Punt" in Insig. Winning the Health and Beauty category is Michael Klerck with "The Final Cut" in Men's Health. Sharon Cooper wins the Photography category with her various entries as published in WOMYN.
Marianne Thamm wins the Columns category with her columns "Unfair Comment" in Fairlady and "Speaker's Corner" in Style. The winner in the Foresight category is Mark Gevisser for his entry "Headspace: Sandton" which was published in GQ.
One of the judges, deputy editor of Pace magazine Joe Khumalo, enthuses, "Cynics may argue that magazine writers manufacture stories, but without doubt magazine writing is the ultimate in journalism. Each and every reporter worth their salt would kill to be in the shoes of a magazine writer because they perceive magazine journalism as the highest form of writing. Then imagine if you as much as get a nomination, let alone win a Mondi - the Oscar of writing - you would feel over the moon and only a fool or the insanely jealous would quibble with the fact that you belong to the writing elite."
COMPLETE LIST OF FINALISTS FOR THE MONDI PAPER MAGAZINE AWARDS 2001:
1. BUSINESS
Stephanie Nieuwoudt: 'n netelige Punt - Insig
Force Khashane: Shattered dreams: R27-million housing scam - Pace
Kirby van der Merwe : As mense diewe word - Insig
2. LEISURE
Andy Davis: The Beach Boy - SL
David Bristow: They prowl the empty street at night - Getaway
Frieder von Hörsten: Trip of a lifetime to East Africa - Signs of the Times
Steve Smith: Sporting Chance - SL
3. HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Michael Klerck: The Final Cut - Men's Health
Karin Schimke: Men's Health Week - Men's Health
Pippa de Bruyn: The first cut - Baby and Me
Tracy Hawthorne: Bone Chilling - Men's Health
4. REVIEWS
Darrel Bristow-Bovey: Various - SL
At van Wyk: Politieke Turksvy - Insig
Francois Smith: Die lewe is geen fliek nie - Insig
Sean Bacher and Anthony Lord: Hardware Reviews - FHM
5. FASHION
Justine Tasker: Various - SL
Jackie Burger: Various - Fair Lady
Neil Doveton: Various - Pace
Robert Bell: Various - Style
6. DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION
Jaco Janse van Rensburg: Various - VISI
Raymond Oberholzer: Zen and Only a Game - Pforeword
Sharon Cooper: Deconstructing Maria - WOMYN
Theo Clarke: An Appetite for Africa - Leadership
7. PHOTOGRAPHY
Sharon Cooper: Various - WOMYN
Tessa Frootko Gordon: Altered Images - Leadership
Graeme Williams: In Between the Moments - Leadership
Graeme Robinson: Looking Ahead - Leadership
8. ESSAYS AND FICTION
Nicole Turner: Death by Hillbrow - SL
Andy Davis: Tonight on e - SL
Kerneels Breytenbach: Swynvark en snark is nodige woorde - Rooi Rose
Merle Colborne: A Karoo Story - Style
Ufrieda Ho: Sweet & Sour - Femina
9. FORESIGHT
Mark Gevisser: Headspace: Sandton - GQ
Don Pinnock: Wanted: dam killers for killer dams - Getaway
Gillian Warren-Brown: In Step with the Future - Leadership
Heather Parker: Do you have rubber morals? - Shape
10. AT HOME
Annemarie Meintjes: Vat Vyf - VISI
Cathy O'Clery: African Aesthetes - House and Leisure
Neil Doveton: Various - Pace
Tina-Marie Malherbe: Supergroen - VISI
11. COLUMNS
Andre le Roux: Op die vrou af - Sarie
Darrel Bristol-Bovey: Humour - MTN Connections; Misadventure - Out There; Untitled - Style
Don Pinnock: Natural Selections - Getaway
Marianne Thamm: Unfair Comment - Fairlady; Speaker's Corner - Style
12. FEATURES
Janine Stephen: Run Lola Run - SL
Hilary Prendini Toffoli: The Prisoners of Zonderwater - Style
Inge Kühne: 4 dapper vroue teen 'n bloeiende land - You/Huisgenoot
Jonathan Ancer: Killing Time - SL
13. PRODUCT COVERAGE
Suzette Scheepers: Waterless toilet tumble dries costs - Housing in Southern Africa
Clifford Roberts: Township Tourism: Kopanong - Hotel and Restaurant
John Watterson: The Art of DVD - CLASSICfeel
14. SYSTEMS COVERAGE
Jacqueline Leitch: Various - ReSource; IMIESA
Dale Kelly: 'Illegal' operators are raping the environment - Pit and Quarry
Dale Kelly: St Lucia issue - a lesson to be learnt - Mining Mirror
15. INDUSTRY COVERAGE
Lucy Laing: Delighting in Denim a wonder fabric - Pursuit Clothing and Textile
Marida Fitzpatrick: Who's playing the FUEL? - Focus on Trucking and Logistics
Megan Chronis: Tough Rules for Cash Cases - Security Focus
Suzette Scheepers: The squeeze is on for affordable rentals - Housing in Southern Africa
