This year’s Franschhoek Literary Festival boasts an eclectic mix of voices from various genres, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to engage with celebrated authors and discover new literary gems.
The festival has released its highly anticipated official programme, offering of a captivating line-up of renowned local, pan-African and international authors from May 17 to 19.
The programme promises an enriching experience featuring a wide variety of thought-provoking panel discussions, in-depth author interviews, interactive writing workshops and poetry readings; and Melodies in Words, an evening of art song and poetry inspired by literature.
Among the local authors and works featured in this year’s programme are Andrew Brown (The Bitterness of Olives), Angela Makholwa (The Reed Dance Stalker), Arthur Goldstuck (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to AI), Anoeschka von Meck (Twa die Tydloper), Busisekile Khumalo (Sunshine and Shadows), Craig Higginson (The Ghost of Sam Webster), Ivan Vladislavić (The Near North), Justice Malala (The Plot to Save South Africa) and Pieter-Dirk Uys (One Man Shows, in three volumes and free to read online).
The list also includes Sally Andrew, who’ll be launching her long-awaited Tannie Maria cookbook Recipes to Die Live For, Shubnum Khan (The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil) and Zibu Sithole (The Thing with Zola).
The Franschhoek Literary Festival 2024 also boasts a list of both established and newer pan-African voices.
Festival programme director Jennifer Ball said: “We are thrilled and honoured to include these authors on our programme this year, and to celebrate and amplify voices and stories from the African continent.”
The authors on the 2024 list are: Adekeye Adebajo, Kobby Ben Ben, Femi Kayode, Morabo Morojele, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu and Troy Onyango.
Among the international authors are Irish writer Cecelia Ahern, wellknown for her best-selling novel PS, I Love You, British-Nigerian writer Bolu Babalola, author of Honey & Spice, Candice Carty-Williams, who became the first black writer to win the Book of the Year award at the British Book Awards, and David Walliams.
Since the publication of his groundbreaking first novel, The Boy in the Dress (2008), Walliams has seen unprecedented growth and his books have been translated into 55 languages across 40 titles.
The festival programme has been designed to cater to a diverse audience, featuring discussions, workshops and performances that explore a wide range of literary themes.
Cape Times