Open Book Festival

08/08/2025

We had a wonderful time at RX Radio. Stay tuned for a link to the episode.

It’s time for [BOOKS & BREAKFAST] and we’re kicking things off with something special! 📚✨
We’re honoured to welcome and – two powerful voices in South Africa’s literacy landscape. Join us as they share their stories and give us an exciting preview of what to expect at this year’s 📖

08/08/2025

💚 🌱 Join us for conversations that honour our wounds, celebrate our resilience, and explore the power of words to heal.

💔 The Body Keeps the Score - Popina Khumanda, Malika Ndlovu and Jeffrey Rakabe speak about trauma scars and the personal revolution to get to the other side

✍️ Fiction as Healing - Andile Cele, Ashraf Kagee and Michelle Myeko Kekana explore how words can mend real world trauma

🎤 Make Noise & Hold All Applause - Lesedi Molefi asks: what does it mean to stop pretending? A raw conversation about capitalism and mental health with Mpho Boshego, Andile Cele and Nthato Mokgata

😴 Are We Tired Yet? - Pumla Dineo Gqola, Goretti Kyomuhendo and Zulaikha Patel speak to Mohale Mashigo about emotional exhaustion and crisis fatigue

🗣️ Fluency and Trauma - Siphokazi Jonas, Athambile Masola and Ryan Pedro explore finding language to hold one's past

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Recovering From Childhood - Sven Axelrad, Lebo Mazibuko and Ntombifuthi Nkabinde discuss working through problematic parents

🌍 From DRC to Cape Town - Popina Khumanda speaks about surviving the unthinkable and finding paths to healing

🫶 Finding Lightness - Sven Axelrad, Khaya Dlanga and Karen Vermeulen explore the necessity of humour to process pain

Healing isn't linear. These conversations create space for all of it.

🎫 Book via Webtickets
https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/EventCategories.aspx?itemid=1573503261
📖 Full programme
https://openbookfestival.co.za/festival-programme/

We believe everyone should have access to these conversations. If price is a barrier for you, please email [email protected].

06/08/2025

Dive deep into conversations that explore what it means to be African, Black, and connected to ancestral wisdom in today's world at

📚 From Pan Africanism to the Black Atlantic - Adekeye Adebajo and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf speak to Maneo Mohale about rethinking our frameworks and identities

🌟 African Cosmologies As A World of Magnitude - Zara Julius, Vusumzi Ngxande and Jeffrey Rakabe explore the multilayeredness of African cosmologies with Wanelisa Xaba

✍️ Created in Africa - Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, James Murua and Rémy Ngamije discuss spotlighting African writing (brought to you by the African Literary Cities Project)

🙏 Spirituality in the Now - Siphokazi Jonas and Vusumzi Ngxande speak to Vuyo Koyana about reclaiming spiritual inheritance and returning to the heart of Isintu

📺 The Republic - Screening followed by conversation between Wale Lawal (The Republic editor) and Will Shoki (Africa is a Country editor)

These conversations matter. These voices matter.

🎫 Book via Webtickets: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/EventCategories.aspx?itemid=1573503261
📖 Full programme: https://openbookfestival.co.za/festival-programme/

We believe everyone should have access to these conversations. If price is a barrier for you, please email [email protected].

06/08/2025

A lovely feature from Philip Todres on Map My Way 😊

Open Book Festival 2025 proudly unveils the complete programme for Open Book Festival 2025, now live and available for public viewing, with bookings officially

05/08/2025

🎧 NEW EPISODE: On Speaking Through My World with Rosie Motene, Frankie Murrey dives deep into 13 years of creating space for bold literary conversations in South Africa. If you believe in the power of stories and cultural spaces, this episode is essential listening.
Link here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1366387/episodes/17618101

In this episode, I sit down with Frankie Murrey, the heart and programme coordinator behind the Open Book Festival, a space that, since 2011, has created room for brave, bold, and necessary conversations through literature.We explore the festival’...

04/08/2025

🎉 Our full programme is LIVE and bookings are officially OPEN! 🎉

Three days. Over 50 events. Incredible conversations that will challenge, inspire, and transform.

5-7 September 2025 is going to be extraordinary.

📚 From Conversations with Mohale to Maneo Mohale in conversation with literary icon Tsitsi Dangarembga
🎭 From Writersports 2025 to Slam City Showcase
🌍 From explorations of Pan Africanism and the Black Atlantic to conversations about Justice
🏳️‍🌈 From q***r celebrations and resistance to exploring spirituality and LGBTQIA+ experiences

Plan your festival experience now.

WE DID IT! 🙌 Thank you for helping us reach our R500K target. Your support made this possible when government funding was cut. This festival belongs to all of us.

🎫 Tickets from R50 | Several FREE events

🔗 Link to programme: https://openbookfestival.co.za/festival-programme/

🎟️ Book now via Webtickets
https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/EventCategories.aspx?itemid=1573503261

💝 Need a complimentary ticket? Email [email protected]

Buy books from participating authors from our partner Book Lounge

Let us know what you are looking forward to in the comments 🤓

29/07/2025

🎉 COMPETITION TIME! 🎉

We've teamed up with Penguin Random House SA to give FIVE lucky winners the ultimate festival experience!

What you could win:
✨ Two weekend passes to Open Book Festival
📚 A curated book hamper featuring amazing PRH authors who'll be at the festival

Imagine diving into incredible stories before meeting the brilliant minds behind them in person!

How to enter: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.za/win-weekend-pass-cape-town%E2%80%99s-open-book-festival
Competition closes: 5 August

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of books and connect with fellow book lovers. Tag a friend who'd love this too!

Town

Competition Running 5 to 7 September 2025, the Open Book Festival celebrates African writing and fosters conversations that centre marginalised voices. Highlights include Writersports, Conversations with Mohale, and engaging discussions on identity, feminism, mental health, and more … and five luc...

28/07/2025

This year's lineup brings together the most incredible mix of returning Festival family and exciting new voices from across South Africa and the continent for three days of powerful conversations!

Thanks to our amazing community, we've raised R383,210 toward our R500K goal. Just R116,790 to go to ensure these vital conversations can continue for years to come.

The full participant list is available here: https://openbookfestival.co.za/authors/
Donate to our crowdfunding campaign: https://booklounge.co.za/product/open-book-crowdfunding/

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23/07/2025

URGENT UPDATE: Open Book Festival Needs Your Help

We're deeply grateful for the community support received since our appeal last week. So far we have raised R104 177.23 towards our R500 000 goal.

Recent government funding decisions have confirmed the severity of our crisis: The Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport department has now confirmed support of just over R55,000 – a fraction of the R300,000 originally applied for. Meanwhile, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture has completely cut funding to Open Book Festival, after many years, including R700,000 in 2024. We can no longer rely on government support.

These voices from our festival family show exactly what's at stake. Open Book isn't just an event - it's where art heals, where strangers become friends, where difficult conversations happen, and where writers and readers find their community.

Every contribution matters. Every share helps. Please support us if you can, or share with someone who might.

Link: https://booklounge.co.za/product/open-book-crowdfunding/

16/07/2025

For years we have spoken about our belief that Open Book is not owned by us – it is owned by all those who contribute to making it an inclusive, vibrant festival that consists of incredibly important and difficult conversations and serves to highlight some of the fantastic writing coming out of South Africa (and beyond).

We now need that collective ownership to take on a financial element. Your investment in the festival will not bring you dividends or shares, but what it will bring is the knowledge that the festival that you love and in whose value you believe will continue to exist.

Many organisations face funding crises right now and we unfortunately find ourselves in that position. We have been partly reliant on support from different levels of Government since the inception of Open Book, and there is still, so close to this year’s September festival, no clarity about the applications we have made to the Western Cape or National Government.

If you see value in Open Book, please consider contributing by clicking below:
https://booklounge.co.za/product/open-book-crowdfunding/

For any sponsorship queries, please contact [email protected]

01/07/2025

Catch an interview with Frankie Murrey in the latest edition of Doek!

She discusses the process of organising Open Book Festival, as well her collection of short stories, with Doek! editor, author and participant in this year’s festival, Rémy Ngamije.

“It was more like sneaking up on myself.” — Literatea with Frankie Murray about festival organisation and creative writing.

20/06/2025

📚✨ Two brilliant sessions from our Open Book Festival Workshop Week are now available to watch on YouTube!

These skill-sharing workshops guide you through every step of your publishing journey. Learn not just how to get your work published, but how to effectively market your book once it's out in the world.

Our expert speakers share invaluable industry knowledge, practical tips, and real-world experience to help you navigate the publishing landscape with confidence. Whether you're a first-time author or looking to expand your reach, these sessions offer the tools you need to succeed.

🎥🔗 Watch on our channel, links below. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from the best and take your writing career to the next level!

From Manuscript to Bookshelf | Publishing: https://youtu.be/mnLNxtWB--I
From Manuscript to Bookshelf | The Next Steps
https://youtu.be/v0NIamE-lu8