Franschhoek literary fest – 3 days, but so many authors
IF YOUlove reading, regard authors as heroes and enjoy sitting at pavement cafés and chatting to like-minded people while sipping something cold or hot depending on the weather, you should not miss this year’s Franschhoek Literary Festival from May 15 to 17.
Festival director Ann Donald says she has got some wonderful authors lined up, and she’s right: Deon Meyer ( John Boyne (
Bauer ( ( Chris Higginson ( Christopher Hope ( Bristow-Bovey (
Belinda Lyndall Gordon ( Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (
Zelda la Grange ( Charles van Onselen (
Jonny Steinberg ( Jonathan Jansen (
Finuala Dowling
and Darrel
– to mention only a few.
The programme came out this past week, to Donald’s “great relief ”. “It’s been quite a struggle to fit people in in a way that works for them and the audience and the festival, but I think we’ve done it.”
Highlights include the inaugural André Brink Memorial Lecture to be given by Harry Garuba of UCT’s Centre for African Studies and English Department; actor Kurt Egelhof reading a selection of poems and passages from the memoirs of the late lamented Chris van Wyk ( and the Sunday Times Literary Awards shortlist announcement.
Here are some of the events that caught my eye:
Charles van Onselen and Jonny Steinberg on stories of SA gangsters.
Alison Lowry talking to Christopher Hope and Rehana Rossouw (
about the challenges of writing true-to-life stories.
Justin Fox ( talking to Belinda Bauer, Imraan Coovadia ( and Ivan Vladislavic ( about the books on their shelves.
Jenny Crwys-Williams talking to Andrew Brown ( Deon Meyer and police Major-General Jeremy Vearey about real v fictional policing.
Donald says the bookings are going well, and already the event titled “Just Julius”, which will see Dennis Davis speaking to Fiona Forde (
Richard Poplak and Kenny Kunene, is almost sold out.
Most events are R70. For more information go to www.flf.co.za. – Books Editor