Open Book Festival Live Recordings

In this episode, Adekeye Adebajo and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf speak to Maneo Mohale about rethinking our frameworks and identities to understand what it means to be Black and African. Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Siphokazi Jonas, Athambile Masola and Ryan Pedro speak to Pieter Madibuseng Odendaal about finding language to hold one's past. Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. This event is brought to you by the Centre for Rhetoric Studies.The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Antjie Krog, Lebo Mazibuko and Malika Ndlovu speak to Buhle Ngaba about independent daughters making sense of this complex relationship.Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Veruska de Vita, Saliem Fakir, and Alistair Mackay speak to Natalie Sifuma about the impact of the climate catastrophe and their work. Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Nadia Cassim, Bonnie Espie and Andrew Robert Wilson speak to Palesa Motsumi about how the truth refuses to remain hidden.Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Foluso Agbaje, Zara Julius and Patric Tariq Mellet speak to Aphiwe Ngalo about the uneasy present resting on layers of the past in our cities. Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Caryn Dolley, Rebecca Gore and Julian Jansen reflect on how their recent books expose our collapsed criminal justice system. Chaired by Dan Corder.Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

In this episode, Haidar Eid speaks to Usuf Chikte about his new book, a collection of essays and articles he wrote and published during the Israeli onslaught on Gaza and the “hermetic blockade” that has been in place since 2007. The conversation was preceded by a screening of a documentary by Haidar that can be watched for free here: ⁠https://www.anemoia.net/zarnouqa⁠.Open Book Festival is an annual literary event in Cape Town featuring panelists from all over the writing and publishing spheres. It is a place where writers and audiences are brought together and meaningful discussions are made possible.This is a recording of a live event that took place at the September 2025 edition of the Open Book Festival. The festival is made possible by the support of the City of Cape Town, the Heinrich Boell Foundation and the Wheatfield Estate Foundation Trust.

This is a live recording of an event that took place at Open Book Festival in September 2024.

This event closed out the 2024 Open Book Festival with poetry and song. Featuring the aBantu Chorus and poets, Zizipho Bam, Siphokazi Jonas, Lynthia Julius and Eloghosa Osunde, this performance touches on healing, unity and the power of storytelling.

This event was made possible by the support of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, the City of Cape Town and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

This is a live recording of an event that took place at Open Book Festival in September 2024. In this event, Lesedi Molefi, Margie Orford and Hedley Twidle speak to Festival Director, Mervyn Sloman, about crafting their work.This event was made possible by the support of the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture, the City of Cape Town and the Heinrich Böll Foundation.