Open Book: Reading South Africa

Open Book FestivalThe Open Book Festival is a trusted space in which difficult conversations are possible.  The festival, at its core, recognizes the importance of books to explore the world. Writers and their work is at the center of the Festival, along with the audience. We believe that the meaningful conversation is impossible, without the representation of the audiences. Book LoungeThe Book Lounge is located at 71 Roeland Street in Cape Town.  Karavan PressKaravan Press is an independent publisher based in Cape Town, South Africa, devoted to excellence and integrity.  They are passionate about the books they publish.The Frightened by Lethokuhle Msimana  Published by Karavan Press“In this lyrical, fragmented novella, Lethokuhle Msimang uses autobiographical and poetic interventions to lead the reader thorugh landscapes of loss and longing, traveling between France, China, Spain and South Africa, to explore the troubled terrain of leaving and findinghome. The Bitterness of Olives by Andrew Brown  Published by Karavan PressAvi Dahan, a retired detective mourning his beloved wife in tel Aviv and Khalid Mansour, a Palestinain doctor confront the precarious reality of living in Gaza City – and are still reeling from the policital fallout that jeopardies their delicate friendship.  Colleen Hicks. Modjagi BooksColleen Hicks is a writer and publisher.She founded the ground-breaking independent southern African press, Modiaji Books in 2007.Through her publishing company she occasionally offers workshops on how to get published in South Africa. She has edited four editions of African Small Publishers Catalogue.  The BookeryThe Bookery was established in 2010 and since then has set up more than 98 school libraries in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, South Africa.  Professional libraries assist in keeping the organized supplied with reference, non-fiction and fiction books.  The Bookery provides at least three books per learner, carefully selected, to meet their individual needs and interests. The Bookery also trains librarians.  They have distributed more than 375,000 books throughout South Africa.African Literary Cities ProjectAfrican Literary Cities Project – University of Cape Town “As a form of urbanity, the literary city can be considered a narrative that (re)produces itself in both material and imaginative forms and can thus not be read solely with one single disciplinary lens. The African Literary Cities Project at the University of Cape Town proposes the notion of “literary urban ecologies” to make sense of the complex entanglements and (re)productions of cityness and literature. We are not concerned with creating an authoritative definition of the African Literary City. Rather, we are interested in mapping how literary cityness is locally produced in the contexts of dynamic African cities that are constantly “ making connections of all kinds through their literary.”Conversations with Mohale MashigoOtto FoundationThe Otto Foundation is the philanthropic trust of the Otto Family. The Trust was established by Chris Otto and his daughter, Zephne Ladbrook, in 2016. The Otto Family and the board of trustees has mandated the Otto Foundation to contribute to social justice and positive change in South Africa through projects that improve early literacy. Batis BooksBatis Books, based in Edinburgh  and publish beginning in early 2026. Batis will publish a handful of titles focusing on literary excellence and new talent from South Africa and Scotland. On Publishing with Pan MacmillanPatient 12A by Lesedi Molefi – a candid and absorbing account of his time spent in a psychiatric clinic in 2016.Book mentionedBraids and Migranes by Andile Cele  - The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women By Michelle Myeko KekanaElizabeth Howard, Producer and Host of the Short Fuse Podcast Elizabeth Howard is the producer and host of the Short Fuse Podcast, conversations with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change. Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016). She leads reading groups at the Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York.  @elizh24 on InstagramThe Arts Fuse The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters.The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.” The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts.Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.  Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem.SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletterLIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on TwitterHELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.