Imbali Award
ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 2025 IMBALI AWARDS.
Closing date for entries is 30 April 2025.
2025 Imbali Award for Excellence in Romance Writing is now open for entries.
The Quick Look
Only books in the genre of ROMANTIC FICTION published between January 01 2024 and December 31 2024 are eligible for entry.
Deadline for entries:
30 April 2025
Entry Fee:
ROSAMembers – R350.00
NON-ROSA MEMBERS – R500.00
Languages:
Manuscripts in Afrikaans and English will be accepted
Word Count:
40 000 to 80 000
Format:
Only electronic submissions in PDF file format will be accepted
Still Interested? Then, read on for more information.
READ CAREFULLY BEFORE MAKING YOUR SUBMISSION
If you are South African, and published a novel in 2024, you are eligible to enter.
1 – Only entries published between 01 JANUARY 2024 and 31 DECEMBER 2024 are eligible for participation.
2 – If you are entering as a ROSA member, kindly ensure your 2023/2024 membership is paid in full before submission of your entry.
3 – THE IMBALI AWARD (English), is for a novel between 40 000 (forty thousand) and 80 000 (eighty thousand) words.
4 – THE IMBALI AWARD (Afrikaans – Die Roos Toekenning) is a novel between 40 000 (forty thousand) and 80 000 (eighty thousand) words.
5 – THE ROSA DEBUT AUTHOR AWARD is for a story between 25 000 (twenty-five thousand) and 60 000 (sixty thousand) words. Submissions will be accepted in both English and Afrikaans.
7 – Entry fees are as follows:
ROSA members: R350.00
Non-ROSA members: R500.00
ROSA
FNB Northgate; Account Number – 62484552007
Reference – Members: Imbali & Membership Number; Non-members: Imbali & Name
9 – Awards will be handed out at an Awards Gala. Date to be announced. Alternatively, winners can make arrangements to have their award collected from the organiser.
A full list of Terms and Conditions is available in the form linked below as well an on our website.
10. Only electronic submissions in PDF file format will be accepted.
Still have queries? Email imbali@romancewriters.co.za to have them answered.
Did you know.......
Imbali is the Zulu word for ‘flower’, and ROSA’s Imbali award celebrates not only our African roots, but also the floral associations of our name and logo.
2024
Daar was nie ‘n Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses in 2024
2022
Daar was nie ‘n Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses in 2022
2021
The Imbali Award for Excellence in romance writing of 2021 was awarded to Sophia Karlson for her novel, The Shrink.
Die Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses is aan Didi Potgieter toegeken vir haar roman As Dit Voel Soos Liefde.
2020
The Imbali Award for Excellence in romance writing of 2020 was awarded to Tanya Wilde for her novel Not Quite a Rogue.
Die Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses is aan René van Zyl toegeken vir haar roman Storm Vol Liefde.
2019
The Imbali Award for Excellence in romance writing of 2019 was awarded to Romy Sommer for her novel Last of the Summer Vines.
Die Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses is aan Leandra Naude toegeken vir haar roman Reis Deur Die Hart.
2018
The Imbali Award for Excellence in Romance Writing (English) was awarded to Natasha Anders for her novel, The Wing Man.
Die Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses (Afrikaans) is aan Didi Potgieter togeken vir haar roman Liefde vir ‘n Ridder.
2017
ROSA ran its second Imbali Award of Excellence contest in 2017. The contest celebrated the best romantic novels published between January 2016 and December 2016.
The award was judged by a panel of book bloggers and reviewers, both local and international, and the winners were announced at the ROSA Gala Dinner in Johannesburg on Saturday 21st October 2017.
Die Imbali Toekenning vir Uitmuntendheid in die Skryf van Romanses is aan Sophia Kapp toegeken vir haar roman, Moeilikheid met ‘n Meermin.
2016
In 2016, ROSA ran its first contest for the Imbali Award for Excellence in Romance Writing. In its inaugural year, this contest was open to only 15 entries from around Southern Africa, in English only. The entries were judged by a panel of independent book bloggers and reviewers.
The winner and runner-up were announced at the gala dinner at ROSA’s third annual conference, held at Melose Place in Johannesburg on Saturday 24th September. The award was presented by the conference’s keynote speaker, international author Mary Jo Putney.
The first runner-up was Joanne Macgregor, with her YA novel Scarred. The winner of ROSA’s first ever Imbali Award was announced as Suzanne Jefferies, with her novel The Joy of Comfort Eating.
Read our interview with the winner, Suzanne Jefferies, here.
The newly revised 2024 ROSA Awards are closed for entry
The Awards are now CLOSED for submission.
If you are South African, and published a novel in 2023, you are eligible to enter.
1 – Only entries published between 01 JANUARY 2023 and 31 DECEMBER 2023 are eligible for participation.
2 – If you are entering as a ROSA member, kindly ensure your 2023/2024 membership is paid in full before submission of your entry.
3 – THE IMBALI AWARD (English), is for a novel between 40 000 (forty thousand) and 80 000 (eighty thousand) words.
4 – THE IMBALI AWARD (Afrikaans – Die Roos Toekening) is a novel between 40 000 (forty thousand) and 80 000 (eighty thousand) words.
5 – THE ROSA DEBUT AUTHOR AWARD is for a story between 25 000 (twenty-five thousand) and 60 000 (sixty thousand) words. Submissions will be accepted in both English and Afrikaans.
6 – Should there be less than 5 (five) entries in any category, that category will be cancelled for the current year. Participants who have enterd a cancelled category, will be given the opportunity to enter a combined IMBALI category or offered a full refund. In this instance, Debut authors with entries of less than 40 000 words will be refunded.
7 – Entry fees are as follows:
ROSA members: R400.00
Non-ROSA members: R475.00
8 – Banking Details:
ROSA
FNB Northgate; Account Number – 62484552007
Reference – Imbali & Membership Number for members; Imbali & Name for non-members
9 – Awards will be handed out at the Awards Gala on 21 September 2024. Alternatively, winners can make arrangements to have award collected from the organiser.
A full list of Terms and Conditions is available in the form linked below as well as on our website.