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Open Book Festival

@openbookfest

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Open Book dates for 2026
16 - 23 March | Youth Fest
1 - 6 June | Workshop Week
4 - 6 September | Open Book Festival
#OBF2026
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The Between Two Worlds panel brought together three novels that combined realities both real and imagined each in completely different ways. I.O. Echeruo, John Hunt and Keely Shinners spoke to Kelly-Eve Koopman about their novels that blur boundaries between the familiar and the speculative. Enjoy this talk and more on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms or on our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #SpeculativeFiction #AfricanAuthors #BookFestival Between Two Worlds ‘The Comfort of Distant Stars’ is I.O. Echeruo’s debut novel after his previous short fiction has appeared in Transition and Eclectica magazines and as a collection titled ‘Expert in All Styles’. Enjoy this talk and more on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms or on our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #SpeculativeFiction #AfricanAuthors #BookFestival Between Two Worlds Once shortlisted for the Sunday Times Fiction Prize (for his novel ‘The Boy Who Could Keep a Swan in His Head’) John Hunt discussed his latest book ‘All Good in the Hood’. Enjoy this talk and more on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms or on our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #SpeculativeFiction #AfricanAuthors #BookFestival Between Two Worlds Kelly-Eve Koopman’s work explores identity, history, ecology and social change across mediums. She is the author of the memoir ‘Because I Couldn’t Kill You’, which was longlisted for the Sunday Times Literary Awards, and co-curator of the acclaimed LGBTQIA+ anthology They Called Me Queer. Enjoy this talk and more on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms or on our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #SpeculativeFiction #AfricanAuthors #BookFestival by @openbookfest
An event every book lover anticipates year after year - Conversations with Mohale. If you missed seeing it live (our condolences) we have you covered! This year, the focus was Love is a Feminist Issue. Krystle Zara Appiah, Pumla Dineo Gqola and Sue Nyathi spoke to host with the most, Mohale Mashigo about love and loneliness in a world on fire. Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a must! Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on your preferred podcast platform, also available on our website. All links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Feminism #BookTalk #BookPodcast #AfricanAuthors Conversations with Mohale: Love is a Feminist Issue Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola, Doctor of Philosophy in Post-Colonial Studies, is known for her powerful feminist writing. ‘Rape: a South African Nightmare’ won the 2016 Sunday Times Award. Her most recent book, ‘The Female Fear Factory’ was published in 2021 and we eagerly await what is to come. Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a must! Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on your preferrerd podcast platform, also available on our website. All links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Feminism #BookTalk #BookPodcast #AfricanAuthors Conversations with Mohale: Love is a Feminist Issue You may be familiar with Sue Nyathi and not even realise it. Her hit novel ‘The Polygamist’ has been top of the Netflix charts since its recent adaptation. She is back this year as editor of ‘Man-Hood’, a collection of essays from a diverse group of men. Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a must! Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on your preferrerd podcast platform, also available on our website. All links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Feminism #BookTalk #BookPodcast #AfricanAuthors Conversations with Mohale: Love is a Feminist Issue British-Ghanaian writer Krystle Zara Appiah joined us with her latest novel ‘Half Lives’. Appiah was heralded as ‘One of Britain’s best new writers’ by Harper’s Bazaar after her debut novel, ‘Rootless’ (2020). Don’t sleep on this one, it’s a must! Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on your preferrerd podcast platform, also available on our website. All links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Feminism #BookTalk #BookPodcast #AfricanA by @openbookfest
The festival recordings continue! Filling in the Gaps brought real South African stories to the forefront, stories that you won’t find in history textbooks. Lulama Mali, Athambile Masola and Bonile Ngqiyaza spoke to Wamuwi Mbao about the work of adding the missing voices to our history. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #AfricanAuthors #AfricanHistory #BookFestival #SouthAfrica Filling in the Gaps Lulama Mali reads from her debut memoir ‘Held’. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #AfricanAuthors #AfricanHistory #BookFestival #SouthAfrica Filling in the Gaps Award-winning South African journalist, editor, and author of ‘Small Fires in the Dust’, Bonile Ngqiyaza. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #AfricanAuthors #AfricanHistory #BookFestival #SouthAfrica Filling in the Gaps Wamuwi Mbao, editor of ‘Years of Fire and Ash’, is an essayist and cultural critic, and lead literary reviewer for the Johannesburg Review of Books. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #AfricanAuthors #AfricanHistory #BookFestival #SouthAfrica by @openbookfest
This week we welcome, Krystle Zara Appiah! @krystlezara is a British-Ghanaian novelist and children’s books editor. Her debut novel, "Rootless", is an intimate story of love, grief, motherhood and the choices that shape a marriage, which won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author. Her second novel, "Half Lives" came out this year and was recently shortlisted for the 2026 Morland African Writing Scholarships. ⁠ ⁠ Krystal stopped by The African Imaginary to share her 5 Favourites with us while she was in Cape Town for The Open Book Festival. Thanks once again to @openbookfest for making this collaboration possible! ⁠ ⁠ Here are her 5 Favourites:⁠ 1. What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah⁠ 2. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite⁠ 3. The Talk of the Party by Foluso Agbaje⁠ 4. Nearly All the Men in Lagos are Mad by Damilare Kuku⁠ 5. Stay with me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀⁠ ⁠ *⁠ ⁠ 5 Favourites is our much-loved regular, in which a reader or writer speed-dates us through his or her favourite African books so that you can expand your own literary horizons.⁠ ⁠ 'Interested in becoming a video reviewer? Our reviewers are based around the continent, and are African book lovers of different genres. Because we love compelling books content, we have a small budget for video reviewers. DM us to find out about joining the community! ⁠ ⁠ #africanimaginary #africanliterature #africanwriting #africanbooks by @openbookfest
This week all the way from Scotland we welcome Selali Fiamanya! Selali is a Scottish-Ghanaian doctor and novelist. His debut novel, "Before We Hit the Ground" came out last year and follows a Ghanaian family across three decades in Accra, Glasgow and London. The novel was longlisted for the Saltire Book Awards as well as the 2026 Jhalak Prose Prize, and it takes on themes such as migration, class, queerness and overall what it means to belong. ⁠ ⁠ Here are his 3 Favourites: ⁠ 1. The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah⁠ 2. The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola⁠ 3. These Letters End in Tears by Musih Tedji Xaviere⁠ ⁠ Selali stopped by The African Imaginary headquarters while he was in Cape Town for The Open Book Festival. Thank you to @openbookfest for making this collaboration possible!⁠ ⁠ *⁠ ⁠ 3 Favourites is our much-loved regular, in which a reader or writer speed-dates us through his or her favourite African books so that you can expand your own literary horizons.⁠ ⁠ 'Interested in becoming a video reviewer? Our reviewers are based around the continent, and are African book lovers of different genres. Because we love compelling books content, we have a small budget for video reviewers. DM us to find out about joining the community! ⁠ ⁠ #theafricanimaginary #africanliterature #africanwriting by @openbookfest
The Book Lounge holds a monthly Feminist Book Club and this one came to us. Noma Tsheleza facilitated an interactive conversation with Lebogang Matseke about her debut fantasy novel ‘Death Rattle’. Watch or listen to this talk, and more, on YouTube, our website or your go-to podcast streaming platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk #Feminism Book Lounge Feminist Book Club In this powerful debut, Lebogang Matseke merges Yoruba and Setswana mythologies with post-apartheid South African settings. ‘Death Rattle’ explores what it means to carry generational wounds and the healing power of truth. Watch or listen to this talk, and more, on YouTube, our website or your go-to podcast streaming platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk #Feminism Book Lounge Feminist Book Club Writer, storyteller, and filmmaker, Noma Tsheleza started and runs the feminist book club at the Book Lounge as a form of community and resistance in a world that is rapidly moving backwards and silencing the voices of women once again. Watch or listen to this talk, and more, on YouTube, our website or your go-to podcast streaming platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Fantasy #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk #Feminism by @openbookfest
Past, Present and Future examined the world as a product of our past and imagined how our future could look. In this episode, Megan Choritz, Mphuthumi Ntabeni and Jean-Paul Willemse spoke to Stevlyn Vermeulen about how their different novels are a product of our history. Enjoy this conversation and don’t miss any of our upcoming 2026 releases available on YouTube, podcast streaming platforms and our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #History #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk Past, Present and Future Kwela’s publisher of fiction, Stevlyn Vermeulen, stays in tune with new voices while guiding experienced writers. Enjoy this conversation and don’t miss any of our upcoming 2026 releases available on YouTube, podcast streaming platforms and our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #History #AfricanAuthors #kwela Past, Present and Future With multiple novels behind his name, Mphuthumi Ntabeni’s much anticipated new novel ‘Multitudes’ is out now! Enjoy this conversation and don’t miss any of our upcoming 2026 releases available on YouTube, podcast streaming platforms and our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #History #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk Past, Present and Future Short story writer Jean-Paul Willemse joined the panel with his debut novel ‘Ashes of Euphoria’. Enjoy this conversation and don’t miss any of our upcoming 2026 releases available on YouTube, podcast streaming platforms and our website. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #History #AfricanAuthors #BookTalk by @openbookfest
Explore the many facets of grief and hope in our latest release, Lessons From Loss. Melinda Ferguson, Thato Sebastian-Charles Mmereki and Dominique Olivier spoke to Firdose Moonda about grief becoming part of the fabric of their lives. Catch up on the 2026 festival events, recorded live! Available on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms, and our website. Links in bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #Memoir #AfricanAuthors #Grief Living Through Loss Dominique Olivier, a columnist for Ghost Mail and the Daily Maverick, speaks about her debut memoir ‘Lessons From Loss’. Catch up on the 2026 festival events, recorded live! Available on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms, and our website. Links in bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #Memoir #AfricanAuthors #Grief Living Through Loss This event was chaired by Firdose Moonda, a journalist, academic and yoga teacher. She has recently published ‘185 The Janine van Wyk Story’. Catch up on the 2026 festival events, recorded live! Available on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms, and our website. Links in bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #Memoir #AfricanAuthors #Grief Living Through Loss Head of the MF publishing imprint and with multiple publications of her own, Melinda Ferguson discussed her new memoir ‘Swift’. Catch up on the 2026 festival events, recorded live! Available on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms, and our website. Links in bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #Memoir #AfricanAuthors #Grief Living Through Loss In his memoir ‘What Light Cannot Touch’ Thato Sebastian-Charles Mmereki covers the unique kind of grief surrounding missing persons. Catch up on the 2026 festival events, recorded live! Available on YouTube, across podcast streaming platforms, and our website. Links in bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #Memoir #AfricanAuthors #Grief by @openbookfest
Have you been keeping up? Our next event is live - Reflections On Parents. Lọlá Ákínmádé, Dyondzo Kwinika and Faraaz Mahomed spoke to Kelly Smith about the moments of parental success and failure in their work, and the possibilities of forgiveness. Whether you prefer to watch or to listen, make sure you subscribe to our channels so you won’t miss out on new episodes releasing weekly! Now available on our website, YouTube, Spotify and across podcast platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #Parenting #LiteraryPodcast #AfricanAuthors Reflections on Parents Faraaz Mahomed’s writing has appeared in Granta, Boston Review, The Georgia Review, the Sunday Times, and others. ‘Mother\Land’ is his debut novel. Whether you prefer to watch or to listen, make sure you subscribe to our channels so you won’t miss out on new episodes releasing weekly! Now available on our website, YouTube, Spotify and across podcast platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #Parenting #LiteraryPodcast #AfricanAuthors Reflections on Parents Kelly Smith edited the acclaimed LGBTQI+ anthology ‘They Called Me Queer’. Smith curates and organises story-rich spaces for the LGBTQI+ community. Whether you prefer to watch or to listen, make sure you subscribe to our channels so you won’t miss out on new episodes releasing weekly! Now available on our website, YouTube, Spotify and across podcast platforms. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #BookFestival #Parenting #LiteraryPodcast #AfricanAuthors by @openbookfest
This discussion was all about the art of enticing a reader and keeping them hooked! One More Chapter features Tom Eaton, Sue Nyathi and Puseletso Tsotetsi who spoke to Shawn Buck about keeping their readers glued to the page. Catch up on this recording and many more on our website, YouTube or across podcast platforms. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming releases. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #BookFestival #Reading One More Chapter Tom Eaton spoke to the panel about his latest cosy crime novel ‘A Second Shot’. Catch up on this recording and many more on our website, YouTube or across podcast platforms. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming releases. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #BookFestival #Reading One More Chapter Puseletso Tsotetsi, a Mandela Washington Fellowship alumna, brought a viral TikTok story to life with her latest release ‘Good Things Keep Happening to Me’. Catch up on this recording and many more on our website, YouTube or across podcast platforms. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming releases. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #BookFestival #Reading One More Chapter Shawn Buck is known and loved as the creator of the Cape Town Silent Book Club, which he has grown to become the second largest chapter in the world. Catch up on this recording and many more on our website, YouTube or across podcast platforms. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming releases. Links in our bio. #OBF2026 #Writing #BookFestival #Reading by @openbookfest
This event took a deep look at love of all types, and the ways it looks different for everyone. Watch the full recording of the South African Romance Indaba in which Sven Axelrad, Thandi Moagi and Cathrine Phiri speak to Qarnita Loxton about the good, the bad and the ugly in love stories. Out now on Youtube and across podcast streaming platforms. Link in our bio. #OBF2026 #Romance #BookFestival #AfricanAuthors South African Romance Indaba Thandi Moagi, author of ‘Wisani and the Bafokeng Brothers’, speaks about the strength and growth of women through love. Out now on Youtube and across podcast streaming platforms. Link in our bio. #OBF2026 #Romance #BookFestival #AfricanAuthors South African Romance Indaba Cathrine Phiri, author of ‘A Love that Heals’. Out now on Youtube and across podcast streaming platforms. Link in our bio. #OBF2026 #Romance #BookFestival #AfricanAuthors South African Romance Indaba This event was chaired by Qarnita Loxton, the author of multiple novels, her most recent of which is ‘What’s Wrong with June?’ Out now on Youtube and across podcast streaming platforms. Link in our bio. #OBF2026 #Romance #BookFestival #AfricanAuthors by @openbookfest
Writing Queer Masculinity is out now! (No pun intended.) This episode combines lightness and honesty while exploring vulnerability in writing from personal experiences. Zubayr Charles, Preven Reddy and Wesley Roodt speak to Riley Herbert-Henry about how the world reacts to queerness and how this shaped their stories. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #QueerStories #LGBTQ #BookFestival Award-winning comedian, actor and digital creator Preven Reddy. Now a debut author of ‘Qualified Disappointment’. Full episode vailable on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #QueerStories #LGBTQ #BookFestival Zubayr Charles - playwright, poet and debut novelist with his recent release ‘Haram’. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #QueerStories #LGBTQ #BookFestival Scriptwriter and director, whose short film screened at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals, Wesley Roodt. Debut author of ‘All the Saints’. Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Link in bio. #OBF2026 #QueerStories #LGBTQ #BookFestival by @openbookfest

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