Johannesburg – Dyondzo Kwinika has been named the inaugural winner of the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award for short story-writing for his story “Mr. Duiker Sang the Blues”.
The announcement was made at the launch of the first DALRO Can Themba Merit Award anthology, “When Water Wants To”, hosted at Exclusive Books Rosebank on Monday, 8 September 2025.
Launched at the Time of the Writer festival in March 2025, the award drew more than 250 entries from across South Africa.
A jury moderated by Ismail Mahomed and comprising Niq Mhlongo, Shafinaaz Hassim, Lynn Joffe, Lorraine Sithole, Greg Homan, Neil Coppen, and Tiisetsetso Mashifane selected the top ten stories published in the anthology, which is edited by Neil Coppen and published by Wits University Press.
As part of his prize, Kwinika receives R10 000 from the Centre for Creative Arts (University of KwaZulu-Natal), and the Centre will facilitate his participation in a series of book events, including representation at the Bergen International Literature Festival, Norway (February 2026) and Time of the Writer (March 2026).
The Market Theatre will also appoint a dramaturge to support adaptation of the winning short story for the stage.
Kwinika said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award. Speaking about his winning story, he adds: “I wanted to write into the guilt, the silence, the unbearable.”
He describes “Mr. Duiker Sang the Blues” as “both a confession and a posthumous love letter,” tracing a father’s reckoning after the medically assisted death of his estranged son.
Kwinika’s work interrogates silence, stigma, and sexual shame, exploring masculinity, queer identity, and grief with what he refers to as “language that feels lived-in, not performed”.
Several partners commented on the inaugural DALRO Can Themba Merit Award and Kwinika’s achievement.
“What fascinating stories from a talented group of new writers,” said Veronica Klipp, of Wits University Press.
“While Wits University Press is best known for scholarly non-fiction, we’re delighted to occasionally branch into short stories and plays, giving a wider range of authors a publishing platform.
“We’re especially proud to be launching When Water Wants To on International Literacy Day.
“Our thanks also go to DALRO – whose vital work in protecting authors’ rights we fully support – for inviting us to partner in this project.”
DALRO’s Managing Director, Lazarus Serobe, said: ”DALRO prides itself in supporting emerging creators through its initiatives.
“This one in particular is to honour Can Themba, and we can’t wait to see what more will develop from the winning short story and, more importantly, what impact it will have on the writing careers of emerging authors.”
Greg Homann, Artistic Director of the Market Theatre Foundation, said: “As the Market Theatre Foundation, we are honoured to stand in tribute to Can Themba, whose legacy continues to inspire new generations of storytellers.
“The anthology ‘When Water Wants To’ affirms the vitality of the short story form as a bridge between the oral traditions that have shaped our cultural imagination and the voices that are currently shaping South Africa’s literary future.
“We are especially excited to nurture the winning writer’s journey from page to stage, giving their words a new life in the theatre.”
Ismail Mahomed, Director at Centre for Creative Arts, said: “We are delighted that the DALRO Can Themba Merit Award could be launched at the Time of the Writer festival.
“We applaud DALRO for launching the project and for enabling us to support the writers with a mentoring programme that has enabled them to both refine their original submissions and better understand the publishing industry.
“We look forward to hosting the Top Ten at the Time of the Writer Festival next year.”
The Centre for Creative Arts is the implementing partner for this exciting DALRO initiative, bringing its extensive experience and passion for promoting literary excellence to the forefront.
DALRO is a pioneering Collective Management Organisation, established in 1967, dedicated to safeguarding intellectual property.
About the anthology
‘When Water Wants To’ is a collection of stories that range from the deeply personal to the wildly allegorical, playing with genre conventions and inhabiting a multitude of perspectives and unruly voices.
Confirming the preeminence of the short story and its oral antecedents in our culture, stories delve into the national psyche, conversations, connections, and parallels they make, as well as the themes, concerns, and water-soaked imagery they share.
