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Literary giants make SA proud

South Africa continues to recognise, acknowledge and honour its literary icons through the South African Literary Awards.

South Africa continues to recognise, acknowledge and honour its literary icons through the South African Literary Awards.

When the awards were started in 2005, the late Mazisi Kunene became the first author to be awarded the National Poet Laureate Prize for his contribution and dedication to African literature, particularly in African indigenous languages.

On the same occasion, the Literary Lifetime Achievement Awards honoured literary icons Es'kia Mphahlele, Noni Jabavu, Ellen Khuzwayo, Nadine Gordimer, Denis Brutus, James Matthews, TN Maumela, Miriam Tlali, ES Madima and Modikoe Dikobe, among others.

Last year, Keorapetse Kgositsile became the poet laureate. The South African Literary Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred on Andre Brink, Don Mattera, DBZ Ntuli, Ephraim Lesoro, Karel Schoeman, Lauretta Ngcobo, Lewis Nkosi, Peter Abrahams, Phyllis Naidoo, Ronnie Govender and Toek Blignaut

The 2006 South African Posthumous Literary Awards were awarded to Bessie Head, James Jantjies Moiloa and Ingoapele Madingoane.

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