Vice chancellor Professor Bojosi Otlhogile will present the award to the 2006 winner, Lebogang Mashile. This will then be followed by an official launch of the Noma Archive and a poetry session, featuring the winner Mashile, T.J Demba and Boipelo Seleke at the University Library on June 29 at 12 pm. Mashile is said to be one of South Africa's well known spoken word poets, writer, performer and actor. Mashile won the award for her poetry anthology In a Ribbon of Rhythm, edited by Don Mattera. Mashile has also done much artistic work over the years. The competition's appointed jury described her book as a fresh philosophical writing movingly declaiming the pride of heritage.
The Noma Award was established in 1979 and is open to African writers and scholars whose works are published in Africa. The award, which is sponsored by Kodansha Ltd of Japan, is given annually for an outstanding book in any of these three categories: scholarly or academic; books for children; and literature and creative writing. The winner gets a plaque and a grand sum of US $10, 000.
