Last year was a remarkable year for Karavan Press in all kinds of ways, but specifically in terms of literary awards. Karavan Press authors won five major awards, two of which recognised What Remains by Dawn Garisch. The story collection won the HSS Award for Best Fiction Short Stories and SALA’s Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award in 2024. In order to celebrate this wonderful achievement, we will be relaunching the collection at Exclusive Books Cavendish on Wednesday, 29 January, 5.30 for 6PM. Dawn will be in conversation with Mathapelo Mofokeng. Please join us for the celebration!
The shortlists of the 2024 Sunday Times Literary Awards have been announced today and The Bitterness of Olives by Andrew Brown features on the Fiction Prize shortlist.
Fiction Prize Criteria
The winner should be a novel of rare imagination and style, evocative, textured and a tale so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contemporary fiction.
Judges:
Siphiwo Mahala Dr Alma-Nelisha Cele Michele Magwood
CHAIR OF JUDGES SIPHIWO MAHALA SAYS:
The judging panel approached the books entered for this year’s Fiction Prize with a keen interest to delve into a world of the unknown. In turn, we were introduced to a kaleidoscopic array of writing from both the seasoned and emerging writers alike. The result was a pleasantly edifying and exhilarating experience, as reading these novels was embarking on a journey punctuated with diverse themes, surprising and experimental narrative styles and boundless imagery. The wide range of settings, encompassing familiar and unfamiliar locations, bears testament to the universality of our stories and illustrate that our narratives transcend the realist preoccupations with the present moment. These five shortlisted novels, each in its own unique way, represent masterful works of rare, unfettered and powerful imagination.
Here is the fiction shortlist in order of the author’s surname:
Buried Treasure by Sven Axelrad (Umuzi)
The Bitterness of Olives by Andrew Brown (Karavan Press)
The Egg Dilemma by Morabo Morojele (Jacana)
The Institute for Creative Dying by Jarred Thompson (Picador Africa)
Mirage by David Ralph Viviers (Umuzi)
The Bitterness of Olives by Andrew Brown (Karavan Press) Written before the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip on October 7, Brown’s latest novel is set against the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A retired detective in Tel Aviv and Palestinian doctor in Gaza with a shared past, must resolve their differences to investigate a murder. Judges said: A harrowing account of a moment of strife, beautifully told. The author, endowed with vivid imagination coupled with acumen and erudition, deftly immerses the reader in a brutal and bewildering landscape. A wholly sublime narrative, this novel is contemporaneous, daring, complex and aesthetically pleasing.
Our first children’s book (for children between five & hundred and five) was officially launched at Exclusive Books V&A Waterfront last night: Dot to Dot by Lisa Tredoux. It was a truly heart-warming occasion.
Lisa was in conversation with fellow actor and children’s book author, Bianca Flanders.
It was an evening of sheer storytelling delight. Thank you to all involved! I went home smiling, and this morning, the coffee in my Freckolion mug tasted so much better than usual 🙂 Happy reading!
We launched The Smell Of Blood & Other Stories by Caitlin Stobie & Kharys Ateh Laue at Exclusive Books Cavendish last night. We spoke about storytelling in general and the short story in particular, about the creative process involved in collaborating on a collection of this nature, and the challenges and joys of writing about intimacy, sexuality, violence and coming of age in a country as complex and fascinating as South Africa of the eighties and nineties.
Thank you to the authors (you are remarkable!) and to everyone who shared this special moment with us (so great to engage).
A special thank you to Linda and the EB Cavendish team. Thank you for all your kind words and for championing our stories. We are deeply grateful for the support.
This is an event that promises to be loads of fun! Please join us for the launch of In Other Stories, a collection of fiction and non-fiction flashes, compiled and edited by Kerry Hammerton.
Kerry will be in conversation with Nancy Richards and quite a few authors included in the collection will be present to read from and talk about their contributions.
We launched Land | Lines by Shari Daya at Exclusive Books Cavendish last night. Shari was in conversation with Nadia Kamies and spoke about inspiration, craft, place, belonging and freedom. She read her poetic prose and poetry and her words filled a stormy Cape evening with warmth and wonder.
Thank you to Shari and Nadia for the beautiful conversation. Thank you to Linda and the Exclusive Books Cavendish team for hosting the event. And thank you to all who attended, especially Shari’s and Karavan Press’s family and friends.
To all who couldn’t make it: EB Cavendish has a few signed copies of Land | Lines …
Our first children’s book (which adults will love too) – Dot to Dot by Lisa Tredoux – is going to be launched at the V&A Exclusive Books on Wednesday, 4 September 2024, at 6PM. Lisa will be in conversation with fellow actor and children’s book author, Bianca Flanders.
Join us for the event and stand a chance at going home with one of these Freckolion mugs!
karavanpress.com 