Shortlists for lucrative literary awards announced

The shortlists for both the Sunday Times Fiction Prize and the Alan Paton Non-Fiction Award, SA's most financially lucrative English language literary awards at R50 000 each, were announced in Johannesburg on 3 May 2006. According to Michele Magwood, Sunday Times Literary Awards convenor, both shortlists illustrate key trends that have emerged in this year's entries, which have been marked by both a record number of submissions and an exceptionally high calibre of writing. Winners will be announced on 17 June, coinciding with the first Cape Town Book Fair, co-sponsored by Sunday Times.