The South African Literary Awards (SALA) have been awarded annually since 2005 to exceptional South African writers. They "pay tribute to South African writers who have distinguished themselves as ground-breaking producers and creators of literature" and celebrate "literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa’s histories, value systems, philosophies and art." The Awards are open to work in all of South Africa's eleven official languages, and they may include posthumous honours. Since 2005, the number of awards has multiplied — there are now fourteen categories, recognising a variety of literary forms. There are categories for children’s literature, youth literature, literary journalism, novels, poetry, creative non-fiction, debut works, and literary translation; and two named awards, the K. Sello Duiker Memorial Award (for novelists under the age of 40) and the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award. Lifetime achievement is recognised in the Poet Laureate Prizes and the Lifetime Achievement, Posthumous, and Chairperson’s Awards. SALA was founded by the wRite associates in partnership with the South African Department of Arts and Culture. Since 2012, the awards have been given at the annual Africa Century International Writers Conference. The inaugural conference was hosted by the University of the Free State in 2012, supported by the SABC. As of 2021, the winner in each category received R30 000, and the National Poet Laureate received R100 000. (en)