The finalists have been announced for the prestigious DaimlerChrysler Award for South African Poetry 2005, an annual initiative developed to raise awareness of the world-class standard of South African artists both locally and internationally.

This year’s honoured wordsmiths are Gabeba Baderoon, Bernat Kruger, Maakomele ‘Mac’ Manaka, Daniel Marais, Napo Masheane, Lebogang Mashile, Vonani Bila and Ilse van Staden – all of whom have track records of published work that challenge the boundaries of society. There are no finalists from KwaZulu-Natal.

The overall winner of the award will be selected in November once each poet has had a ‘live-performance’ opportunity to present his or her work before the public and adjudication panel made up of renowned poets and critics from within the industry.

As one of the richest arts awards in South Africa, the winner of the DaimlerChrysler Award will receive a cash prize of R30,000, a published journal of works and the opportunity to showcase their work overseas and locally during 2005. Sponsoring a different discipline of the Arts every year, the DaimlerChrysler Arts Award has over the past five years recognised artists within the fields of contemporary art, jazz, sculpture, choreography and creative photography.