Wondered what the judges think?

“Great work,” was the comment of one judge. “These editors are either Superman, Batman or Wonderwoman. The work I saw was out of this world,” she said.

As submissions from our judges start to treacle in we also received a few comments from the bench – judges are in awe of the variety and general high standard of the publications they received.

Christine Breet commented on how much she enjoyed the process: “This was a delightful experience, I was exposed to publications I never knew existed. I was particularly amazed to see the improvement made by one particular publication I judged last year – this year’s issue was taken to a new level and was definitely the best publication in my stack.”

Communication and writing judge, Marlize Leyden, was particularly impressed by the publications that made such excellent use of electronic platforms. “These publications provide an interactive reading experience that really meets the expectations of today’s readers,” she said.

Writing judge, Chantal Smuts, was particularly impressed with the two tertiary education publications she received. “Vibrant, open publications, speaking to innovation and jam-packed with inspiration. And most importantly, providing invaluable information, motivation and solid support to students. They speak volumes about the high value these universities place on engaging, practical and truly meaningful communication. Big thumbs-up for an absolutely critical sector in South Africa.”

Greig Steward, half-way through judging his publications for writing, remarked: “I must say that the quality of writing is very high. It is great to see such professionalism and inspiring to discover the passion people bring to their field.”

Trudy Myburgh reported that she saw some excellent, well-presented publications with interesting articles and stunning photos. “The bar has been set very high – well done, editors!”

Theresa Lee said: “As always, I’m in awe of the work done in South Africa. The one-off and digital publications are a total pleasure to read and evaluate. Entrants take their work seriously and approach each edition with care and insight. The digital publications are getting better every year. They are becoming easier to navigate and the options to read more on other platforms, such as YouTube and company websites, means every reader’s preference can be satisfied. It’s such a privilege to be a judge for this competition – thank you to everyone who lets me into their world.”