Just a year after receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), celebrated South African author, poet and public intellectual Antjie Krog has been awarded the 2026 UJ Prize for Afrikaans for her acclaimed autobiographical novel, Binnerym van bloed.

The award adds another major honour to Krog’s distinguished literary career and reinforces her status as one of the most influential voices in Afrikaans literature. Widely regarded as a writer who has helped shape South Africa’s literary and social discourse over several decades, Krog continues to challenge, inspire and provoke reflection through her work.

In Binnerym van bloed, Krog weaves together personal memory and national reflection, places mother and daughter in intimate literary conversation, while also reflecting on memory, writing, inequality and South Africa’s changing historical moment.

The work has been recognised for its literary depth, emotional resonance and social insight.

The latest recognition follows UJ’s decision in 2025 to confer an honorary doctorate on Krog in acknowledgement of her exceptional contribution to literature, language, journalism and public life.

Her receipt of the University’s Afrikaans literary award further confirms the impact of her work on generations of readers, writers and scholars.

UJ also announced Shane van der Hoven as the winner of the 2026 UJ Debut Prize for Afrikaans for Kruiper-Crawler, a collection praised for its innovative bilingual voice and its exploration of identity, intimacy and belonging.

Van der Hoven’s Kruiper-Crawler marks the arrival of an exciting new literary voice. The debut collection challenges conventional linguistic and literary boundaries and explores queerness, intimacy and marginality. As a poet, translator, editor and lecturer at the University of Cape Town, Van der Hoven has quickly emerged as a significant new contributor to Afrikaans literature.

“The UJ Prizes for Afrikaans continue to affirm the power of language, literature, and translation in shaping our shared cultural and intellectual heritage,” said Professor Rockie Sibanda, Director of UJ’s Multilingual Language Services Office.

Professor Karen de Wet, Chair of the UJ Prizes for Afrikaans and the UJ Prize for Translation, said the awards were a proud flag bearer for the University.

“UJ is the only tertiary education institute in South Africa that promotes exceptional literary achievements on a national level with these awards,” she said.

Among South Africa’s most respected literary honours, the UJ Prizes for Afrikaans celebrate established authors and emerging talent whose work enriches the country’s literary landscape. The 2026 winners reflect both the legacy and evolving future of Afrikaans writing.