EXTRACTS of the work of 43 writers honoured between 2005 and 2007 appear in the impressive omnibus, Band of Troubadours, launched in December last year by former arts and culture minister Pallo Jordaan.

EXTRACTS of the work of 43 writers honoured between 2005 and 2007 appear in the impressive omnibus, Band of Troubadours, launched in December last year by former arts and culture minister Pallo Jordaan.

Band of Troubadours is a product of the South African Literary Awards, which plays a leading role in the ongoing preservation of South Africa's literary heritage. It also seeks to promote a culture of reading and writing among South Africans.

This nation-building partnership project of the Department of Arts and Culture, wRite Associates, Nutrend Publishers and Sowetan also seeks to honour and pay homage to literary practitioners and to honour posthumously those who have died.

Writers who have been honoured over the past few years include Es'kia Mphahlele, Noni Jabavu, Ellen Khuzwayo, Nadine Gordimer, Denis Brutus, James Matthews, Miriam Tlali, Modikoe Dikobe, Ephraim Lesoro, DBZ Ntuli, Lauretta Ngcobo, André Brink, Peter Abrahams, Lewis Nkosi, Don Mattera and Wally Serote.

Morakabe "Raks" Seakhoa, a local literary personality and director of award organisers wRite Associates, says a poetry category is being added to the seven categories for which awards were made last year.

These are the National Poet Laureate Prize, currently held by Keorapetse Kgositsile, Lifetime Achievement Literary Award, Posthumous Literary Award, Literary Journalism Award, K Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award, Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award and the Literary Translators Award.

The closing date for submissions is July 29. No late submissions will be considered. For further information call 0117913585, 0117914102 or 011792 9143, fax 0117914125 or e-mail info@writeassociates.co.za. - Victor Mecoamere