2017 Barry Ronge Fiction Prize longlist
Published in the Sunday Times

Announcing the longlists for the most prestigious annual literary awards, the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize, in association with Porcupine Ridge.
This is the 17th edition of the Sunday Times fiction prize, named for Barry Ronge, the arts commentator who was one of the founders of our literary awards. The criteria stipulate that the winning novel should be one of “rare imagination and style … a tale so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contemporary fiction”.
Nkosinathi Sithole was awarded the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize for his book, Hunger Eats a Man, published by Penguin Books. The winners of the 2017 Alan Paton Award and Barry Ronge Fiction Prize will each receive R100 000.
Read:
- The 2017 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award longlist
- The 2016 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award longlist
- The 2016 Sunday Times Barry Ronge Fiction Prize longlist
The Barry Ronge Fiction Prize Judges
Rehana Rossouw (chair) Rossouw has been a journalist for three decades and is a commissioning editor at Business Day. She has a masters degree in creative writing from the University of the Witwatersrand. She has taught journalism and creative writing at Wits, the University of California, Berkeley, and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism. Her debut novel, What Will People Say?, was published by Jacana in 2015. It was shortlisted for the Etisalat Prize for African Fiction in 2015.
Africa Melane
Melane is the host of the Weekend Breakfast Show on CapeTalk. He is also an ambassador for LeadSA, an initiative of Primedia Broadcasting and Independent Newspapers. Melane studied accounting at the University of Cape Town and did articles at PwC. He then went on to teach a professional development course to first-year students in the faculty of health sciences at the University of Cape Town. Melane is the chairman of MODILA, a trust that offers educational programmes to provide training in design, innovation, entrepreneurship and art studies. He also serves on the board of Cape Town Opera, Africa’s premier opera company.
Kate Rogan
Rogan is the owner of Love Books, an independent book shop in Johannesburg. Rogan has a degree in English from the University of Cape Town and a post-graduate degree English (Hons) from Stellenbosch University, where she studied under Michiel Heyns. She started her working life as a copywriter at 702, then moved into publishing where she was a commissioning editor at Zebra Press in its early days. She moved back to radio as a producer and for many years produced The Book Show for Jenny Crwys-Williams. In 2009 she started Love Books.
Chairperson Rehana Rossouw remarks on the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize longlist:
“South African authors are spoiled for choice. Their local stories are stitched into a tapestry of a landscape ranging from tropical heat to dusty dorps. The longlist this year contains titles that weave the land and the people into compelling tales. Some authors deal with historical dispossession and despair; others discover the magic hidden in thick foliage and stark dustlands. All the authors examine the essence of a people propelled by a dream and led astray by dreamers — some with deft touches and others with scream-with-laughter satire. Crime remains a distinct theme but there’s always love; often sweet and sometimes twisted. It is going to be a struggle this year to choose one winner from a list that contains works by writers presenting their country in words that strike at the heart and linger on the synapses.”
Without further ado, the longlist (scroll down for titles):
Our Fathers, Karin Brynard (Penguin Books)
Like It Matters, David Cornwell (Umuzi)
The Long Wave, Tom Dreyer (Penguin Books)
The God Who Made Mistakes, Ekow Duker (Picador Africa)
In The Maid’s Room, Hagen Engler (Jacana Media)
Travels With my Father, Karen Jennings (Holland Park)
The Printmaker, Bronwyn Law-Viljoen (Umuzi)
Nwelezelanga: The Star Child, Unathi Magubeni (Blackbird Books)
Namaste Life, Ishara Maharaj (Modjaji Books)
The Yearning, Mohale Mashigo (Picador Africa)
Who Killed Piet Barol?, Richard Mason (Orion)
Period Pain, Kopano Matlwa (Jacana Media)
Little Suns, Zakes Mda (Umuzi)
Midwinter, Fiona Melrose (Little, Brown)
Pleasure, Nthikeng Mohlele (Picador Africa)
Hamba Sugar Daddy, Nape `a Motana (Jacana Media)
Agents of the State, Mike Nicol (Umuzi)
The Woman Next Door, Yewande Omotoso (Chatto & Windus)
Outside the Lines, Ameera Patel (Modjaji Books)
Bone Meal for Roses, Miranda Sherry (Head of Zeus)
The Peculiars, Jen Thorpe (Penguin Books)
The Safest Place You Know, Mark Winkler (Umuzi)
Book details
- Our Fathers by Karin Brynard
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EAN: 9781415206928
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- Like It Matters by David Cornwell
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EAN: 9781415201602
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- The Long Wave by Tom Dreyer
EAN: 9781415208953
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- The God Who Made Mistakes by Ekow Duker
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EAN: 9781770104259
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- In the Maid’s Room by Hagen Engler
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EAN: 9781431423767
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- Travels With My Father by Karen Jennings
EAN: 9781907320699
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- The Printmaker by Bronwyn Law-Viljoen
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EAN: 9781415209127
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- Nwelezelanga: The Star Child by Unathi Magubeni
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EAN: 9781928337249
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- Namaste Life by Ishara Maharaj
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EAN: 9781928215363
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- The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo
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EAN: 9781770104839
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- Who Killed Piet Barol? by Richard Mason
EAN: 9781474602341
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- Period Pain by Kopano Matlwa
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EAN: 9781431424375
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- Little Suns by Zakes Mda
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EAN: 9781415209042
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- Midwinter by Fiona Melrose
EAN: 9781472151773
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- Pleasure by Nthikeng Mohlele
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EAN: 9781770104853
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- Hamba Sugar Daddy by Nape ‘a Motana
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EAN: 9781431424221
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- Agents of the State by Mike Nicol
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EAN: 9781415207185
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- The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
EAN: 9781784740344
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- Outside the Lines by Ameera Patel
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EAN: 9781928215127
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- Bone Meal for Roses by Miranda Sherry
EAN: 9781784973025
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- The Peculiars by Jen Thorpe
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EAN: 9781485903406
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- The Safest Place You Know by Mark Winkler
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EAN: 9781415209097
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- The Safest Place You Know by Mark Winkler
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EAN: 9781415209097
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