Originally established in 1989, the Alan Paton Award was conferred annually for meritorious works of non-fiction.
It aimed to reward books presenting "the illumination of truthfulness, especially those forms of it that are new, delicate, unfashionable and fly in the face of power," and demonstrating "compassion, elegance of writing, and intellectual and moral integrity.
"[2] The award was named for Alan Paton, the famous South African author of Cry, The Beloved Country (1948).
The criteria stipulate that the winning novel should be one of "rare imagination and style... a tale so compelling as to become an enduring landmark of contemporary fiction.
[6] This sponsorship arrangement followed the acquisition of CNA from "embattled" parent company Edcon in February 2020.