The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize supports “young, previously disadvantaged writers” in financial need. The award funds an MA in Creative Writing at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The prize is now open to young writers working in all genres (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction), with applications closing on September 15, 2024.

This is a new prize, founded in honor of the South African writer and activist Achmat Dangor.  He is the author of many poetry collections and novels, including Bitter Fruit, a finalist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Man Booker Prize. Dangor was also a fierce anti-apartheid activist and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the South African Literary Awards (SALA) in 2015.

Distinguished Professor in the Creative Writing Department at Wits University Ivan Vladislavić reflects on Dangor’s legacy in the press release announcing the award:

Achmat Dangor made an inestimable contribution to South African literary culture. Both deeply political and resolutely independent, he brought a wide-ranging, cosmopolitan flair to local questions and wrote some of the most provocative, challenging works in our literature, fictions that present a rich sense of life and a complex moral universe…The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize, which will give a young writer the opportunity to study and write, is a fitting tribute to Dangor, and the Creative Writing Department is delighted to provide a home for the recipient.

The Achmat Dangor Literary Prize will be awarded every two years, starting in 2024, supporting at least four students over the next eight years. This initiative is part of the Achmat Dangor Legacy Project (ADLP), which celebrates and preserves Achmat’s life and work.

The recipient will be announced in October 2024, Dangor’s birthday month, during a ceremony featuring readings of his work and an exhibition of archival materials. The winner will be expected to attend the award ceremony at Wits University and write two reflective pieces about the award–one upon being awarded the prize and another upon successful completion of the MA degree.

See the application criteria and requirements here.

Application Deadline

  • Closing Date: September 15, 2024
  • Send your application (including all the required documents) to [email protected]
  • Announcement of Recipient: Mid-to-late October 2024

For more information, please contact the Wits Creative Writing Department: