Literere pryse : 'n oorsigtelike bespreking met voorbeelde uit die Afrikaanse literere veld
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
LitNet
Abstract
Literatuurpryse het ’n lang geskiedenis en kan beskou word as ’n noodwendigheid binne die
meeste literêre velde. Dit is verder ’n verskynsel wat heelwat media-aandag ontlok en verskeie
voordele vir literêre rolspelers soos skrywers en uitgewerye (kan) inhou. Dit het veral ’n
belangrike kanoniserende funksie – toenemend, in ’n era waarin kommersiële aandag ’n al
groter rol in die literêre veld (asook ander kultuurvelde) speel. Tog is literêre bekronings,
asook die breër terrein van literêre evaluering, nie histories ’n onderwerp wat dikwels deur
letterkundiges akademies ondersoek word nie. Die vernaamste rede hiervoor is die hiërargiese
element verbonde aan kultuurpryse wat dit volgens sommige akademici te subjektief sou
maak om vanuit ’n wetenskaplike hoek te ondersoek, asook die skouspel en omstredenheid wat
geneig is om met die prysverskynsel gepaard te gaan.
In hierdie artikel word gepoog om die verskynsel van literêre pryse te belig deur aandag te
skenk aan fasette soos die geskiedenis en proliferasie daarvan; die verwerwing en uitruiling
van kapitaal – veral in die simboliese sin – wat deel uitmaak van die bekroningsproses; die
kanoniseringsfunksie van literatuurpryse en die veranderende posisie van literêre hekwagters;
die rol of bydrae van pryse binne die literêre veld; en ten slotte die kwessie van omstredenheid
as kenmerkende eienskap van die kultuurprys. Telkens word die bespreking belig met
voorbeelde uit die Afrikaanse literêre veld. Pierre Bourdieu se veldteorie word as teoretiese
raamwerk benut en begrippe soos simboliese kapitaal, sosiale kapitaal, simboliese mag en
die produksie van geloof word ingespan om verskillende fasette van die bekroningsproses te
ondersoek. James F. English (2005) se seminale teks The economy of prestige, wat steeds ’n
toonaangewende bron oor kultuurpryse is, asook onlangse studies oor literêre evaluering en
kultuurpryse, word voorts betrek. Uiteindelik is dit die argument dat literatuurpryse deur die
literatuursosiologiese navorser as belangrike kanoniserende en vormgewende verskynsel binne
die hedendaagse literêre veld verstaan en verken moet word.
Literary prizes have a long history in most literary fields and are known to generate media attention for authors and other literary role players, such as publishers. It has become an important mechanism of canonisation, especially since commercial attention is increasingly becoming a determining factor within the broader cultural field. Traditionally, literary prizes have, however, not been a topic that garnered much academic interest. The reason for this lacuna concerning academic research relates to the hierarchical nature of all cultural prizes, as well as the broader field of literary evaluation, and the perception that it is, therefore, too subjective a process to be investigated scientifically. The phenomenon of literary prizes also tends to be accompanied by showmanship and controversy which the academic literary establishment often finds distasteful. In this article we argue that literary prizes are, however, an important part of the literary field today. Literary critics and researchers who aim to understand how the literary field functions need to be cognisant of the role and impact of prizes. We explore literary prizes with regard to their history in the cultural field and the proliferation of prizes in the past few decades; the acquisition and exchange of capital – specifically in the symbolic sense – that is part and parcel of the award process; prizes as a canonisation mechanism and the changing nature of literary gatekeepers; the role and impact of prizes within the literary field; and lastly controversy as a distinct characteristic of the awards circuit. Examples from the Afrikaans field are employed to expand on the discussion.
Literary prizes have a long history in most literary fields and are known to generate media attention for authors and other literary role players, such as publishers. It has become an important mechanism of canonisation, especially since commercial attention is increasingly becoming a determining factor within the broader cultural field. Traditionally, literary prizes have, however, not been a topic that garnered much academic interest. The reason for this lacuna concerning academic research relates to the hierarchical nature of all cultural prizes, as well as the broader field of literary evaluation, and the perception that it is, therefore, too subjective a process to be investigated scientifically. The phenomenon of literary prizes also tends to be accompanied by showmanship and controversy which the academic literary establishment often finds distasteful. In this article we argue that literary prizes are, however, an important part of the literary field today. Literary critics and researchers who aim to understand how the literary field functions need to be cognisant of the role and impact of prizes. We explore literary prizes with regard to their history in the cultural field and the proliferation of prizes in the past few decades; the acquisition and exchange of capital – specifically in the symbolic sense – that is part and parcel of the award process; prizes as a canonisation mechanism and the changing nature of literary gatekeepers; the role and impact of prizes within the literary field; and lastly controversy as a distinct characteristic of the awards circuit. Examples from the Afrikaans field are employed to expand on the discussion.
Description
CITATION: Bonthuys, M. & Foster, R. 2022. Literere pryse : 'n oorsigtelike bespreking met voorbeelde uit die Afrikaanse literere veld. LitNet Akademies, 19(1):232-260.
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
The original publication is available at https://www.litnet.co.za
Keywords
Literary prizes, Literary evaluation, Discourse analysis, Literary, Literature -- History and criticism
Citation
Bonthuys, M. & Foster, R. 2022. Literere pryse : 'n oorsigtelike bespreking met voorbeelde uit die Afrikaanse literere veld. LitNet Akademies, 19(1):232-260.