The Open Book Festival has announced its 2024 list of authors, boasting big names from the literature industry.
The event features a variety of established and emerging voices across Africa, with a diverse background to cater to every pallet.
This year's festival promises to be more than just a celebration of literature; it will serve as a vital platform for meaningful discussions.
The line-up includes a wide array of talented writers, reflecting the rich tapestry of African literature including hard-hitting journalist Lester Kiewiet, actress and author Bianca Flanders, and activist Dela Gwala.
The event pulls in at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town from September 6 to 8, and gives festival-goers the opportunity to purchase books by participating authors through the event's official partner, The Book Lounge.
While dribs and drabs of information has recently been revealed around the festival, festies are going to have to hold out until the next month to get the full programme which will feature an array of panel discussions and performances.
Kiewit said the programme was still up in the air, but the aim was to firm up the titles, frames, dates and times in the near future. He has been asked to chair a session with Charmaine Africa, Alistair Mackay and Thobeka Yose who will speak about writing fathers. A little about the books:
Africa (Amma): This memoir is written in Kaaps and includes content about her father, a man broken by the apartheid system.
Alistair Mackay (The Child): This novel explores several areas, one of which is a compromised father-son relationship, and toxic masculinity that allows no room for softness.
Thobeka Yose (In Silence my Heart Speaks): This memoir is set primarily in rural KZN and includes content about the abuse her mother suffered at the hands of her father. Despite that, Thobeka understands her father to be a good man, twisted by the system.