Stage is set for the 2020 Knysna Literary Festival
From festival favourites to exciting new events - next year's programme is set to be one for the books
Founder of the Knysna Literary Festival, Ling Dobson, said planning for next year’s event is in full swing and another stimulating programme awaits.
“The Knysna Literary Festival will take place between March 6 to 8 2020 and the programme will include festival favourites such as the ‘Fate of the Nation’ debates, economic panel and the Delicious Word Journey. There are also some exciting new events in the pipeline that we can’t wait to share with our supporters!”
Pam Golding Properties Knysna and Plettenberg Bay will sponsor the festival, which remains a firm favourite on the Garden Route events calendar.
Dobson said there is such a demand for event tickets, that capacity in terms of ticket sales influenced their choice of venues for next year. “This is a great place to be. Feedback from authors and attendees alike has shown that it has not only grown in terms of numbers, but also in stature.”
Dobson was also thrilled that the festival bursary programme has taken off.
“Last week we paid the annual school fees for the eighth student at Knysna Primary school. It has always been my dream to stimulate and create a proud legacy of learners and readers and I am delighted that through awareness created by the festival, we have assisted eight deserving learners with bursaries.”
The funds were raised by festival events and contributions from private individuals and local businesses.
“We are very grateful for these contributions. We believe educating the youth is one of the most important investments we can make for the future of our country, and I hope that this programme will grow from strength to strength,” said Dobson.
In addition to the bursaries the festival is also facilitating creative writing workshops at local schools in the Knysna and Plettenberg Bay area.
“We have partnered with the Knysna Initiative for Learners and Teachers (KILT) and this year’s workshops, facilitated by FunDZa, are taking place in the second week of October. More than 10 schools will participate over the five days and the main aim is to stimulate literary awareness, focusing on both the skill and sheer enjoyment of writing.”
Dobson concluded by thanking the public for their support.
“Without them buying the tickets and attending the events, none of these initiatives would be possible. 2020 promises to be another exciting event – watch this space and join us for some debate and discussions around interesting topics, being taken away on amazing journeys with our authors, and of course, some great fun, food & wine!”