Gabeba Baderoon has scooped the DaimlerChrysler Award for Poetry, it was announced at a function in Johannesburg on Thursday, 4 November.

In their judging, the jury panel was looking for an original South African voice with a clear understanding of the structural properties of poetry, an awareness of the rules and the breaking of the rules and an honest treatment of content.

The jury panel making the tough winner selection included the notable Prof Andries Oliphant from the University of South Africa, Ms Tembeka Mbobo of Soweto, Prof Joan Hambidge of the University of Cape Town, Dr Wally Serote , Raks Seakgoa and Astrid Sebb from DaimlerChrysler AG in Germany. On Wednesday, at Kippies in Newtown, Johannesburg, the jury panel listened to the works presented by each of the eight nominated poets and reviewed these live presentations together with the body of work produced to date.

According to the jury panel, Gabeba Baderoon shows respect for the poetic tradition, writes with precision and uses striking metaphors.

“She is an original voice that finds the poetic in the ordinary with a fine sense of locality and space. She weaves political and social issues into her poetry without sloganeering. Her work tackles a wide range of themes, astutely shifting the focus from the outside to the inside,” chairperson, Prof Joan Hambidge, said on behalf of the panel.

Baderoon receives a handsome R30 000 cash prize. Furthermore, she will be doing a presentation tour of South Africa; be a key cultural contributor at the South Africa Day in Germany in May 2005; be given the opportunity to further present her work overseas; and DaimlerChrysler will publish a special anthology of her poetry.

Gabeba Baderoon is an internationally published poet. Her work has appeared New Contrast , Carapace , Illuminations, Feminist Studies and Matter . She studied with the distinguished American poet Robin Becker and the Forward Prize winning, British poet and playwright, Sean O'Brien. Her poem ‘After Revolutions' won the Philadelphia City Paper Writing Contest in 1999. ‘The Art of Leaving' was selected for ‘The Best of MA Writing 2002-2003' at Sheffield Hallam University.