The Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Organisation (DALRO), together with Wits University Press and The Market Theatre in partnership with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Centre for Creative Arts are proud to present the inaugural DALRO Can Themba Merit Award.
Honouring Can Themba’s Legacy
This prestigious competition aims to celebrate the legacy of one of South Africa’s literary giants, Can Themba, while at the same time creating a platform for emerging short story authors. Can Themba’s writing remains a powerful force in South African literature, known for its bold storytelling and keen social commentary. The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award seeks to uphold his legacy by bridging literature and the dramatic arts, offering an innovative extension of storytelling into theatre.A legacy of storytelling excellence
Can Themba, a graduate of Fort Hare University, made his mark in the literary world by winning a short story competition with his iconic piece, ‘Mob Passion’ , published in the then-renowned Drum magazine. Reflecting on his achievement, Themba once said, “I feel inspired to go on writing and writing, until one day, perhaps, I’ll be a really famous author. “DALRO Can Themba Merit Award
The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award is looking for South African short stories that are authentic, engaging, entertaining and which resonate with the dynamic pulse of South Africa’s heartbeat. The characters, plots and locations should inspire, challenge or provoke the reader while providing entertaining or engaging insights into South African life.
The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award will run on a two-year developmental cycle. 2025 will focus on the literary component, mentorship, story refinement, and publication, and 2026 will focus on the dramatic adaptation of the award-winning short story into a stage play.
By creating cross-disciplinary creativity and supporting emerging talent, the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award ensures that South African storytelling thrives, on the page, on stage and beyond, reflecting Can Themba’s journey.
Submission rules and guidelines
Entries are subject to the following rules:
- Entrants must be South African citizens
- Must be the original work of the author
- Must not infringe copyright
- Must not manifest plagiarism
- Must not be produced using artificial intelligence technologies
- Must be unpublished
- Must not be simultaneously submitted to any other competition
- Must not exceed 8 000 words
- Must mainly be in English. A sprinkling of indigenous African languages to enhance dialogue is
permissible - Must not promote hate speech or have any representations by plot, character or narrative that are in
contradiction with the values of the South African Constitution.
- Authors are required to submit a single PDF document which must include:
- A completed entry form Download the entry form
- The manuscript typed in Calibri font, size 12, double-spaced. The top of the first page of the manuscript must include the title of the short story, but not the author’s name. The author’s name must only appear on the entry form
- An author’s statement of no more than 500 words explaining their creative vision and aspirations
- A certified copy of the entrant’s South African ID.
- An author may submit only one entry. Only the entry received first will be registered, any additional
entries will be automatically disqualified - The entrant must complete all questions on the entry form. Incomplete forms will be automatically
disqualified - Late submissions will not be considered.
Selection process, prizes, awards and recognition
The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award is more than just a competition, it is a career accelerator for emerging South African writers. This initiative offers strategic support, mentorship and publishing opportunities for a shortlist by ten outstanding authors, giving them the recognition and tools they need to thrive in the literary sector.
The DALRO Can Themba Merit Award was launched at the prestigious Time of the Writer Festival in KwaZulu-Natal in March 2025.
- A panel of esteemed adjudicators will review submissions and select the Top Ten finalists based on literary merit, originality and alignment with the spirit of Can Themba’s storytelling tradition. Part of the judging criteria will also be the submissions potential to be adapted into a compelling theatrical work.
- The Top Ten writers will undergo mentorship workshops, guided by seasoned literary professionals, to refine and develop their stories into polished final pieces
- These refined works will be published by Wits University Press in an anthology
- The anthology will be officially launched on 8 September 2025 where the winning author and runner up will be announced
- The Top Ten will undergo a series of additional workshops aimed at professional development.
- The Top Ten writers will be invited to the Time of the Writer Festival in 2026
- The Winner and Runner Up will also be selected to attend a festival equivalent to the Time of the Writer Festival in Cape Town in 2026
- The Winner will be given the extraordinary opportunity to travel abroad in 2026 to participate in a festival equivalent to Time of the Writer Festival
- The Winner will be awarded a R10 000 Cash Prize from the Time of the Writer Festival.
- The winning short story will be adapted into a stage play. In 2026, the winning author will be paired by the Market Theatre with an experienced playwright and/or dramaturg to transform their short story into a playscript.
- The theatre production will premiere at the Market Theatre in September 2026, marking the culmination of this exciting creative journey.
Costs of Participation
- In the event that participation in DALRO Can Themba Merit Award requires the Ten Top to travel, such travel and related costs will be covered by the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award.
