M-Net Literary Awards

M-Net Literary Awards were a group of South African literary awards, awarded from 1991 to 2013. They were established and sponsored by M-Net (Electronic Media Network), a South African television station. The award was suspended indefinitely after the 2013 season.^[1] In the awards' fourth year, an award for indigenous African languages was inaugurated, alongside the original English and Afrikaans awards, to encourage writing in indigenous languages.^[2] In subsequent years there were six language categories, covering all eleven official South African languages: English; Afrikaans; Nguni (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swati); SeSotho (Sotho, Pedi, and Tswana); TshiVenda; and SeTsonga. In 2005, a Film award was introduced, for novels that novels that showed promise for translation into a visual medium.^[3] Three Lifetime Achievements Awards were also given: to Mazisi Kunene (2005), Cynthia Marivate (2006), and Mzilikazi Khumalo (2007).

The M-Net Literary Awards
Country	South Africa
Presented by	M-Net
Reward(s)	R50 000
First award	1991
Final award	20 September 2013

In their early years, the M-Net Awards were notable among South African literary awards for considering, under their judging criteria, not only literary merit but also "strong narrative content" and "accessibility to a broad reading public."^[4][5] They were also, in the 1990s, the best remunerated literary awards in South Africa.^[6] From 2011, winners received a prize of R50 000, up from R30,000 in previous years.^[3]

Until 2010, the Awards were announced at the same event as the Via Afrika Awards (previously known as the Nasboek Literary Awards), which are ongoing as the Media24 Books Literary Awards.^[7][8]

Award winners

Winners (1999-2013)

Year	Category	Winner	Work	Ref.	Notes
2013	English	Imraan Coovadia	The Institute for Taxi Poetry	[9][10]	Awarded 20 September in Johannesburg.[i] Shortlisted in the English category were: Life Under Water by Ken Barris No Time Like the Present by Nadine Gordimer The Land Within by Alistair Morgan The Book of War by James Whyle
	Afrikaans	Ingrid Winterbach	Die aanspraak van lewende wesens
	Nguni	July Innocent Mtsweni	Inzinto Zyaphenduka
		M.J. Mngadi	Bayeza Abanqobi
	SeSotho	Sabata-Mpho Mokae	Ga Ke Modisa
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	N.M. Mphaphuli	Mbofho dza Malofha
	Film	Sabata-Mpho Mokae	Ga Ke Modisa
		Karin Brynard	Onse Vaders
	Debut	James Whyle	The Book of War
		S.J. Gambu	Leqotjane
2012	English	Finuala Dowling	Homemaking for the Down-at-Heart	[11][12]	Awarded in October in Johannesburg. Shortlisted in the English category were: Lost Ground by Michiel Heyns The Landscape Painter by Craig Higginson Shooting Angels by Christopher Hope Nineveh by Henrietta Rose-Innes
	Afrikaans	Sonja Loots	Sirkusboere
	Nguni	No award
	SeSotho	N.P. Maake	Manong a lapile
		Herbert Lentsoane	Tšhweu ya ditsebe
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	Takalani Mbedzi	Murunzi wa Vhutshilo
	Film	Deon Meyer	7 Dae
2011	English	Ivan Vladislavic	Double Negative	[3][13]	Awarded in June in Cape Town. Shortlisted in the English category were: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut Last Summer by Craig Higginson
	Afrikaans	Ingrid Winterbach	Die Benederyk
	Nguni	Ncedile Saule	Inkululeko Isentabeni
	SeSotho	K.J. Sekele	Lehutso
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	No award
	Film	Cynthia Jele	Happiness is a Four-Letter Word
2010	English	Sally-Ann Murray	Small Moving Parts	[14][15]	Awarded 31 July in Cape Town.[ii] Shortlisted in the English category were: To Heaven by Water by Justin Cartwright Summertime by J.M. Coetzee High Low In-between by Imraan Coovadia Little Ice Cream Boy by Jacques Pauw
	Afrikaans	Eben Venter	Santa Gamka
	Nguni	Peter Mtuze	Iingada Zibuyile Endle
	SeSotho	M.S. Machitela	Ga di Mphelele
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	No award
	Film	Karin Brynard	Plaasmoord
2009	English	Anne Landsman	The Rowing Lesson	[16]	Awarded 13 June in Cape Town.
	Afrikaans	Etienne van Heerden	30 Nagte in Amsterdam
	Nguni	No award
	SeSotho	Mathethe Molope	Babuši ba Lehono
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	Tsireledzo Mushoma	Nne na inwi
	Film	Deon Meyer	13 Uuur
2008	English	J.M. Coetzee	Diary of a Bad Year	[17][18]	Awarded 15 June in Cape Town. Shortlisted in the English category were: Blood Kin by Ceridwen Dovey After Tears by Niq Mhlongo Plot Loss by Heinrich Troost No Man's Land by Carel van der Merwe
	Afrikaans	Etienne van Heerden	Asbesmiddag
	Nguni	Phakamile Gongo	Ukutshona kweHotyazana
	SeSotho	M.C. Mphahlele	Dilo tšela ke batho
	SeTsonga	M.C. Lubisi	Xijahatana
	TshiVenda	No award
2007	English	Shaun Johnson	The Native Commissioner	[19][20][21][22]	Awarded 17 June in Cape Town.Shortlisted in the English category were: Green-eyed Thieves by Imraan Coovadia How We Puried Puso by Morabo Morojele My Mother's Lovers by Christopher Hope The Shadow Follows by David Medalie
	Afrikaans	Ingrid Winterbach	Die boek van toeval en toeverlaat
	Nguni	Kula Siphatheleni	Elowo Nalawo
	SeSotho	Kabelo Duncan Kgatea	Ntshware ka letsogo
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	No award
	Lifetime Achievement	Mzilikazi Khumalo
2006	English	No award		[23]	Awarded at the Cape Town Book Fair.[iii]
	Afrikaans	André P. Brink	Bidsprinkaan
		Marita van der Vyver	Bestemmings
		I.L. de Villiers	Jerusalem tot Johannesburg
	Nguni	Nelisile Thabisile Msimang	Umsebenzi Uyindlala
	SeSotho	Mathediso Aletta Motimele	Ngwana wa Mpa
		Goitsemodimo L. Mancho	Wetsho ke a go rata
	SeTsonga	S.J. Malungana	Swilo Swa Humelela
	TshiVenda	No award
	Lifetime Achievement	Cynthia Marivate
2005	English			[24][25]
	Afrikaans	Marlene van Niekerk	Agaat
		Anoeschka von Meck	Vaselinetjie
		Charl-Pierre Naudé	In die geheim van die dag
	Nguni	S.D. Khumalo	Isiqalo Esisha
		C. Nyanda and J.J. Thwala	Intathakusa
	SeSotho
	SeTsonga
	TshiVenda
	Lifetime Achievement	Mazisi Kunene
2004	English			[5]
	Afrikaans	Dan Sleigh	Eilande
	Nguni	M.J. Mngadi	Iziboshwa Zothando
	SeSotho	No award
	SeTsonga	No award
	TshiVenda	No award
2003	English			[26]	Awarded in Cape Town.
	Afrikaans
	Nguni	Nakanjani G. Sibiya	Kuxolelwa abanjani?
	SeSotho
	SeTsonga
	TshiVenda	Jemima L. Phaswana	Isha la mitodzi
2002	English
	Afrikaans
	Nguni
	SeSotho
	SeTsonga
	TshiVenda
2001	English	Zoe Wicomb	David's Story	[27]	Shortlisted in the English category were: Quiet Violence of Dreams by K. Sello Duiker Shark's Egg by Henrietta Rose-Innes
	Afrikaans	Etienne van Heerden	Die swye van Mario Salviati
	Nguni	M.J. Mngadi	Ifa Ngukufa
	SeSotho	Kabelo Duncan Kgatea	Njeng manong fa ke sule!
	SeTsonga	N. Phaswana	Tshi do Lilwa
	TshiVenda	N.B. Mkhari	Mbilu ya Wanuna
2000	English			[2]	Shortlisted in the English category were: Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee Frieda and Min by Pamela Jooste Gods of our Time by Mongane Wally Serote Manly Pursuits by Ann Harries The Prodigal Husband by Lazarus Miti[iv]
	Afrikaans
	Nguni	J.J. Ncongwane	Loyishayile Sewuyosile
	SeSotho
	SeTsonga
	TshiVenda
1999	English	Mehlaleng Mosotho	The Tikeline Yuppie	[2][28]
	Afrikaans	Christoffel Coetzee	Op soek na General Mannetjies Mentz
	Nguni	Livingstone Lubabalo Ngewu	Koda Kube nina na?
	SeSotho	Lazarus M. Malebana	Hlabang tlou ka diloka
	SeTsonga	Conny Masocha Lubisi	I Vutomi
	TshiVenda	Sampson Nditsheni Mahamba	Magala a vhahali
1998	English	Ken Barris	The Jailer's Book	[6][28]
	Afrikaans	Piet van Rooyen	Die olifantjagters
	Nguni	M.J. Mngadi	Ashiko ndawo bakithi
	SeSotho	Peter Tseole	Kgori e bona lee
	SeTsonga	Gertrude Siphiwe Shabangu	N'wananga
	TshiVenda	Azwianewi Elvis Maisha	Mme a nndwa dzothe
1997	English	Zakes Mda	Ways of Dying	[2][6][28]
	Afrikaans	Karel Schoeman	Verkenning
	Nguni	Ncedile Saule	Ukhozi Olumaphiko
	SeSotho	Ramadimetja Ruth Phasha	Ke Sehlola
	SeTsonga	Ndhuma Benneth Mkhari	Nkhavi wa le Ndzhaku
	TshiVenda	James Mafela	Mudi Ndi Wanga
1996	English	Mark Behr	The Smell of Apples	[2]
	Afrikaans	A.H.M Scholtz	Vatmaar
	Nguni	Rayman Fumanekile Mcimeli	Kazi ndenzeni na
	SeSotho	Kgotso P.D. Maphalla	Bashemane ba Dibataolong
	SeTsonga	N.R. Mgiba	Vutomi i Vhilwa
	TshiVenda	Patrick Maanda Nefefe	Mato a penya mitodzi
1995	English	Dianne Hofmeyr	Boikie, You Better Believe It	[2]
	Afrikaans	Marlene van Niekerk	Triomf
	Nguni	J.C. Buthelezi	Impi yabomdabu isethunjini
	SeSotho	N.P. Maake	Kweetsa ya pelo ya motho
1994	English	Justin Cartwright	Masai Dreaming	[2]
	Afrikaans	Lettie Viljoen	Karolina Ferreira
	Nguni	G.A. Malindzisa	Sihonga
	SeSotho	N.P. Maake	Sejamonna ha se moto gete
		S.A. Mamadi	Mahlagahlaga a Mafulang
1993	English	John Eppel	D.G.G. Berry’s The Great North Road	[2]
	Afrikaans	Marita van der Vyver	Griet skryf ‘n sprokie
1992	English	Tony Spencer-Smith	The Man Who Snarled at Flowers	[2]
	Afrikaans	John Miles	Kroniek uit die doofpot
1991	English	Lesley Beake	A Cageful of Butterflies	[2]
	Afrikaans	Jeanne Goosen	Ons is nie almal so nie

1. A debut award for debut works in any language was awarded for the first, and only, time.
2. The Awards were announced at a separate event to the Via Afrika Awards for the first time.
3. In 2005-6, each language category honoured works in different genres (short fiction, long fiction, and prose).
4. Shortlisted in the Afrikaans category were Boendoe by Chris Barnard, Buller se Plan by Ingrid Winterbach, Draaijakkals by George Weideman, Vos by Anna M. Louw and Wegkomkans by Marita van der Vyver; in the SeSotho category, Kodiyamalla by N.P. Maake, Lehlaba la lephako by T.W.D. Mohapi, and TsHwara thebe ka mallela by M.B. Tsolo; and in the Nguni category, Loyishayile Sewuyosile by J.J. Ncongwane.