2007 Festival Wrap-Up
The first Franschhoek Literary Festival in early May drew an estimated 2 000 readers. Readers, writers, media and book clubs strolled through the village interacting with 30 authors, poets and publishers in lively informal discussions, signings, fundraisers, talks, breakfasts, dinners and over drinks.
2008 Festival a resounding success!
‘Bigger and better,’ people are saying of the 2008 Franschhoek Literary Festival, which took place over the weekend 16 – 18 May. The village buzzed with writers, festival-goers, publishers, booksellers, book agents and musicians during three days of discussions and debates, insights into writers’ lives and problems, spoken poetry, impassioned outbursts, storytelling, singing, glorious music and laughter.
Read all about this year's festival...
Click here to see photographs of the 2008 Festival, from BookSA
Read news about the Festival
at the FLF Blog, hosted by
BookSA
For further information, or general enquiries about the Festival,
please send an email to Sheenagh Tyler at the following address:
help@flf.co.za
For accommodation queries and local information,
contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley & Tourist Association
The generous support of the Delta Trust from 2007-2009 allowed the Franschhoek Literary Festival to give a substantial amount of money to the FLF Library Fund, helping us to achieve our aim of making books in local languages available to everyone. Click here for more information about our sponsors.
Read
about the sell-out 2007 Franschhoek Literary Festival
And now for 2009...
Invitations are already going out for the third Franschhoek Literary Festival from 15 – 17 May 2009, and planning is in full swing.
The FLF Committee is pleased to announce that the following writers, broadcasters, playwrights and publishers have agreed to come:
- Poet and TV personality Lebo Mashile, author of In a Ribbon of Rhythm and Flying Above the Sky
- Best-selling author Vikas Swarup, Deputy High Commissioner for India in Pretoria (Q & A and Six Suspects)
- Multi-talented author and broadcaster Jenny Crwys-Williams, who recently brought out her third Penguin Dictionary of South African Quotations
- Veteran activist Sindiwe Magona (Beauty’s Gift)
- Max du Preez, controversial journalist and editor (Of Tricksters, Tyrants and Turncoats)
- The team that worked on and contributed to the late Bob Woolmer’s last work, The Art & Science of Cricket: leading sports scientist Tim Noakes, writer and poet Helen Moffett and humorist and novelist Tom Eaton (The Wading)
- Justin Cartwright, South African/English author (The Song Before it is Sung and a new book out next April), coming from the UK
- Afrikaans author Eben Venter (Trencherman), coming from Australia
- South African English authorities Elwyn Jenkins and Rajend Mesthrie
- Playwright Mike van Graan, who will be bringing a third stand-up première: Bafana Republic : Penalty Shootout
- Ace broadcasters John Maytham and Karabo Kgoleng, podcaster Victor Dlamini and editor Phakama Mbonambi, all of whom will chair sessions along with Jenny Crwys-Williams and Ben Williams of Book SA
- Toby Mundy, publisher of the MAN Booker-winning White Tiger, from London
