Open Book Festival programme announced and key themes

After months of work, the 2022 Open Book Festival programme is in the public domain. Click here to visit the site and get booking. Note that even where an event is free, you will need to book and produce a ticket at the door. Tickets are available via Webtickets. 

Those who have joined us in the past will notice significant changes. Previously we have included a number of international writers in the line-up; this year we have made the decision to channel support to SA-based writers only. The festival is also smaller than in 2019. With three days instead of five, we have faced difficult programming decisions on what we have been able to include. The end result is one we are proud of and which we hope you enjoy.

The key themes for this year's event are:

• Gender: Queer Journeys, Women and the Media, Conversations with Mohale, Feminist Imaginings, Absent Fathers, Mothers and Daughters, Legal Activism
• Land: Haunted Spaces, Enabling the Future, Disconnection, Displacement and Loss
• Queerness: Value and Visibility, Queer Journeys, Bodies Under Siege
• SONA: Load Unshedding, Understanding the Moment, SA and xenophobia, Watching the Detectives, Women and the Media, Legal Activism
• Poetry: Bodies Under Siege, Poets in Conversation, Open Mic
• History: Sifting through the Past, Haunted Spaces, The Search for Truth, Memoir and the Missing Past
• Mental Health: Value and Visibility, Loving in a Time of Sickness, Absent Fathers, Forced to Move, Collective Anxiety, Disconnection, Displacement and Loss

The closure of the Fugard Theatre was a devastating blow to Capetonians. Earlier this year, we were delighted to hear it was reopening as the Homecoming Centre and we would be able to return to a venue we have all loved.

Previously, we have offered a festival pass option for those wishing to attend a significant number of events. This year we will be offering a 20% discount on purchases of five or more tickets. This does not include free events. As in the past, we are offering complimentary tickets to students and those who can't afford to pay for entry. If you would like to be considered, email openbooktickets@gmail.com.

Article provided by Martin Slabbert on behalf of Open Book Festival