The 2023 Open Book Festival has opened. The 2023 edition of the Open Book Festival kicked off Friday morning at 10 a.m. at The Homecoming Centre in the CBD. The festival is a three-day event. A few of the events are spread across town.

The Festival aims to be a safe space for people, to have conversations that matter. A range of tough and important topics, such as gender-based violence, the rights of the marginalized, and even the state of publishing will be tackled.

Open Book Festival 2023 is here

We have spent the last couple of months reading some of the best literature that has come out of this country and the continent this year, to prepare for the conversations for this year’s gathering,” says Frankie Murrey, convenor of the Open Book Festival.

Those who love books and meaningful conversations should not miss this event.

She added, “We’ve worked to ensure there is something for everyone and are delighted to be bringing some new ideas to this year’s Festival.”

The Festival follows the same format as last year, with several panel discussions taking place in each time slot. These will – for the most part – take place in HCC venues, with a small number of sessions happening in other spaces, including the Book Lounge.

Open Book is finally here

Between the discussions, members of the public will have the opportunity to interact directly with the authors, as well as to get to know some of the people exhibiting at the Marketplace. This public area is where all book sales and signings take place.

In addition to the discussions that form the backbone of the Festival, young readers can look forward to several story time sessions, and lovers of poetry have much to look forward to with a number of poets included in different events.

No theme

Murrey says that while there is no theme for the Festival, the programme always includes events that explore challenges faced by womxn, the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as those that seek to identify potential solutions to issues stemming from patriarchy.

Some highlights of the programme include:

• Extraordinary Lives: Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis, Sindiwe Magona and Patric Tariq Mellet speak to Firdose Moonda about overcoming the horrendous impact of apartheid.

• African Cities as Text | Desiring Urbanity in African Literature: Farai Mudzingwa, Wisani Mushwana, and Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah speak to Mapule Mohulatsi about African cities as spaces of reinvention and desire. Brought to you by the African Literary Cities Project.

• The Banality of Violence: Nechama Brodie, Caryn Dolley, and Morabo Morojele explore the normalisation of pervasive violence in the company of Erin Bates.

• The future of publishing: In the context of a drastically weaker rand, load-shedding woes, and concerns about representation, Mervyn Sloman talks to Eugene Ashton (JB), Mbali Sikakana (NB), and Karina Szczurek (Karavan) about their thoughts and plans.

• Queering the Page: Wisani Mushwana, SJ Naudé and Pieter Odendaal speak to Branden Grant about queerness and masculinity.

• Constructed Identities: Lynsey Ebony Chutel, Thandiwe Ntshinga, and Pieter Odendaal speak to Nadia Sanger about the roots of racial identity in South Africa.

• African Cities as Text | Cape Town City Stories: Caryn Dolley, Patric Tariq Mellet, and Chase Rhys speak to Barbara Boswell about writing the memories and (sub)cultures of Cape Town. Brought to you by the African Literary Cities Project.

• Queerness and Cape Town: Zoey Black, Maneo Mohale, and Manila von Teez explore Cape Town’s “queer capital” claims in the company of Lwando Scott.

MORE ABOUT: The Full Programme

The Open Book Festival has been in existence since 2011. The Fugard Theatre (as it was known then, later to be renamed the HCC: Homecoming Centre) has always been the hub for the event. The pandemic forced organisers to reformat the event into two podcast series editions, but there was a return to a live, in-person format in 2022.

Strong book history

“We have a strong history of curating events that allow robust conversation to take place exploring some of the challenges we face as South African and global citizens. We are also invested in building a love of books, reading, and storytelling among all.

THIS ARTICLE Was Written By The Team Behind The Open Book Festival.