At a banquet at the Cape Town International Conference Centre and attended by Indian author and last year’s Man Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai, Irish women’s fiction writer Marian Keyes, SA's most prestigious literary awards were handed out.

The Fiction Prize went to Marlene van Niekerk for her novel, Agaat. Her Afrikaans book was translated into English by Michiel Heyns, who will share the prize with her. van Vladislavic won the Alan Paton Award for his Portrait With Keys: Joburg & what-what. The Fiction Prize judges noted that there was 'a growing depth to South African fiction, a distinct maturing but great levity and humour, too'. Of Agaat, they said: 'It is so weighty, so shocking in its scope and reach, and the translation is brilliant. It has truly expanded the literature of this country. It’s a landmark work.
Full Sunday Times report