The University of Johannesburg Prize for South African Writing (UJ Prize) in English has announced its 2026 winners: Michelle Kekana was awarded the Debut Prize for The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women (Jacana), and Malika Lueen Ndlovu the Main Prize for Griefseed (Karavan Press).
The prize is open to South African works in English across genres and was judged this year by a five-person panel from three universities: Prof Nedine Moonsamy of the University of Johannesburg (Chair), Prof Sikhumbuzo Mngadi and Prof Marzia Milazzo, both also of UJ, Prof Rebecca Fasselt of the University of Pretoria, and Dr Wisani Mushwana of the University of Cape Town. Prof Moonsamy described the judging process as an encouraging one for South African letters. “The quality of submissions was exceptionally high and offered a reassuring view of the contemporary South African literary landscape,” she said. “As usual, we have read across genres to select our winners.”
Kekana’s The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women took the Debut Prize by unanimous decision, with judges praising the novel’s raw, refreshing portrait of Black South African women and its experimental, luminous quality.
Ndlovu’s Griefseed emerged as this year’s uncontested Main Prize winner. Jury member Marzia Milazzo called the collection, which weaves together poems, reflections, essays, and images, “an extraordinary collection on grief that moves, empowers, and, ultimately, heals.” Milazzo pointed to the book’s insistence on expression over suppression, quoting Ndlovu’s own line from the work: “Let the wound weep.”
Congratulations to all nominated authors and the winners, especially Malika Lueen Ndlovu – thank you for publishing this exceptional book with Karavan Press!
For more information, see: Brittle Paper
