OUR nation's premier literary awards event, the South African Literary Awards gala, is due to be held in December.

OUR nation's premier literary awards event, the South African Literary Awards gala, is due to be held in December.

It is presented by wRite associates, the Arts and Culture Department and the National Arts Council.

Its media and publicity partner, Sowetan, has made the project a part of the youth and community development activities of the newspaper's Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation.

The awards celebrate South Africa's literary excellence and wealth in our artists's diverse and poignant depiction and sharing of the country and nation's histories, value systems and philosophies and inscribed and preserved art in all the nine official languages. In all, 56 people have been honoured since 2005.

Nominations, which should be submitted by August 6, are being invited for the 2010 a wards :

l Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award, for writing in African languages;

l K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award, for novels and novellas published between 2007 and 2009;

l Posthumous Literary Award;

l Lifetime Achievement Award;

l Literary Journalism Award

l Literary Translators Award;

l Poetry Award, for work published between 2007 and 2009.

For more information and to access nomination forms, please phone the South African Literary Awards at 011-791 3585 or 011-791-4102 or e-mail info@sala.org.za or visit www.sala.org.za You can also write to: SA Literary Awards, PO Box 4488, Randburg, 2125. Nomination forms can also be picked up from 74 Mimosa Road, Randpark Ridge, 2165.