It’s been a busy couple of weeks with writing taking up most of my time. I’ve been itching to blog, but every time I sit down in front of my computer I automatically open my manuscript and the next thing I know it’s time for bed.

Not that I’m complaining. I love slipping into my own little world and only coming up for air if I really have to. But blogging is good too and I’ve been dying to share my good news.

So firstly.

I won the MER Prize for youth fiction!

I’m thrilled, but it was also a bittersweet win as it’s the last one I will share with children and youth publisher Aldré Lategan, who is finally putting down her red pen and retiring.

It was our third MER Prize win together.

Another pinch me moment came in the post the other day.

A few of my short stories for young people will be appearing in a series of school literary anthologies alongside writers like Henrietta Rose-Innes and Diane Awerbuck.

I can honestly say I fell in love with literature at school thanks to my setwork books. Stories like Can Themba’s The Suit and Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon gave me a taste for short stories and inspired me to write my own. It’s bizarre to think that a classroom full of teenagers will be studying my short stories in the same way that I did all those years ago.

Considering my subject matter is magic carnival ponies, laser tag, trading card games, wolves and mermaids, I hope to bring a smile to at least one face.

One last cool thing I swear.

Sharp Edges was reviewed on Tor!

Sharp Edges is a gutsy YA story told from six different points of view. Partridge excels at bringing all six characters to life as distinct, compelling voices. Similarly, despite being immersed in the characters’ minds, Partridge manages to keep the reader surprised: each chapter comes with twists and (often quite upsetting) surprises. Like other great contemporary YA novels, this is a tough book, and a powerful one.

Other books highlighted include Henrietta Rose-Innes’ Nineveh, Sarah Lotz’ The Three and Lily Herne’s Deadlands. Read the whole thing here.

There have been so many great articles and reviews published recently about South African speculative and genre fiction. It’s so exciting to be part of a movement that’s garnering so much international attention for local work. I feel a burst of pride every time I see a mention of AfroSF or Jungle Jim, to which I have contributed short stories. Thanks so much to Jared Shurin for taking the time to pick up one of my novels and reviewing it on the world’s stage.