Open Book Festival Returns to Cape Town

The annual Open Book Festival returns to Cape Town and will run from Wednesday, 17 to Sunday, 21 September 2014 at various locations around the Mother City, including the Fugard Theatre and the Book Lounge. Other venues include the District 6 Museum, the Homecoming Centre, the Slave Lodge, the National Gallery, Central Library and Lobby Books. 

Premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille encourages everyone to take full advantage of this opportunity to enhance their knowledge and networks by attending the events and igniting their passion for literature.

"The Western Cape Government is proud of its continued affiliation with the Open Book Festival. Literature and reading is the gateway to a whole new world and our youth must be encouraged to embrace a reading culture from early childhood," she said.

What's happening at this year's fest?

This five-day festival will feature over 100 authors, both local and international, and promises to be all sorts of fun. From poetry slams to a comic book fest, live book readings from world-renowned authors and panel discussions, there is something for everyone.   

Download the full 2014 programme.

Authors: Book and literary enthusiasts  can look forward to seeing the likes of University of the Free State rector and vice-chancellor and columnist Johnathan Jansen as well as writer and spoken word performer Adrian van Wyk. Playwright, novelist and academic writer Zakes Mda as well as Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Tim Noakes will engage with audiences about their latest work

Poetica: If poetry is your thing, join poets such as Francesca Beard, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Helen Moffett and more.  From panel discussions to poetry slams, this cornerstone event of the annual boekjol offers a diverse range of happenings to appeal to all ages and tastes.

Comic Book Fest: Bigger and better than before, the comic fest will introduce festival-goers to Mzansi’s growing panel of published comic book and graphic novel authors and illustrators. With the programme including everything from Q&A sessions to workshops, fans of the genre and creatives looking to break into the industry can look forward to informative sessions.

Youth Programme: The Open Book Festival encourages a love for books among the younger generation. Aside from running a selection of private events at schools, the fiesta will host a range of child-focussed events at The Book Lounge and Central Library for free. Children can look forward to age-appropriate readings and there’ll also be writing workshops for teens.

Many of the events are free of charge. For paid events, please book your tickets at www.OpenBookFestval.co.za

Source: Open Book Festival