The 21 stories that made it to the final round this year are of a generally higher standard than the finalists for the last award, which suggests that the standard of entries as a whole may be higher. If so, this is a promising development. On the other hand, the kind of short-story writer we are all hoping that an award of this magnitude will attract, recognise, reward, foster, and perhaps even launch into the wider world – the newcomer with naked talent, a feel for language, and a fresh vision of the world – stubbornly fails to arrive.
As usual, the stories from South Africa tend to be better than those from the rest of the region. Among the South African writers there is a welcome new trend: a readiness to go back in history for setting and material (I refer to such stories as ‘July’ and ‘Pinch’).
First prize goes to ‘The Story’ (#8), an assured and professional piece of writing about a simple-seeming interaction between two men in which the true drama takes place beneath the surface. Dialogue is particularly deftly handled. In all, a fine illustration of the adage that, sometimes, less is more.
Second prize goes to ‘Heatwave’ (#14), an impressive exploration of a woman going through a dark night of the spirit.
Third Prize goes to ‘The Ticket’ (#9), an original and suspenseful story let down by a somewhat predictable ending.
The following five stories deserve honourable mention: ‘Quiver’ (#2), in which the opening pages are particularly good; ‘The Sunday Paper’ (#15) and ‘Parking the Guilt’ (#17), two stories marked by their strong human interest; ‘Claremont Park’ (#18), a fresh and interesting piece of work though more a sketch than a story; and ‘July’ (#21), which vividly re-evokes slave life in the old Cape.
J M Coetzee
17 November 2010