As a readers of this blog will know Leopard’s Leap Wines is a proud supporter of South African literature. I was, therefore, very pleased that two publishers whose events and launches Leopard’s Leap regularly sponsor, namely Jacana and Kwêla, were responsible for publishing the winning books in this year’s prestigious Sunday Times Literary Awards.
Former minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils was honoured with the Alan Paton Award for his memoir The Unlikely Secret Agent (published by Jacana). The book is based on the life of his late wife, anti-apartheid activist Eleanor Kasrils.
The fiction prize was awarded to KwaZulu native Sifiso Mzobe for Young Blood (published by Kwêla). Set in Umlazi, KwaZulu, the novel centres around a youth caught up in the underworld of car theft and hijacking.