Open Book Festival is thrilled to announce the return of our dedicated Youth Festival. Building on the success of our inaugural Youth Fest in 2023, we are gearing up to host an even more vibrant and impactful celebration of literature and creativity among young minds. Our focus is on maximising our impact among young readers and budding writers.
This year's festival is scheduled to take place 13 – 20 March 2024 at schools, public libraries and other venues. While many of the events are off programme, and are therefore not open to the public, there are still plenty of opportunities for the broader community to engage with us. We will be hosting a variety of storytimes and workshops at public libraries, the Book Lounge, the Museum of Childhood, and Bertha House. Details of these events will be available on our website later this month. We believe it is important to make these resources available to schools and children who typically do not have the financial means to participate in these types of events, so all the events are free to attend. However, registration is required as some venues have limited capacity.
"From storytimes to workshops to important discussions, our programme has something for all ages. Young people have voices that deserve to be heard and we hope our events will provide them with the safe space they need so that they can speak up," says festival coordinator, Frankie Murrey.
One of the key initiatives we are undertaking is to ensure that books and skills reach individuals who may otherwise miss out on the transformative power and joy that the world of stories offers. To achieve this, we will be purchasing books by all participating writers for donation purposes. We invite anyone who is interested in contributing to this initiative to reach out to Frankie.
This is just the beginning of our planned events for 2024. We have Workshop Week planned for 3 – 8 June, and our flagship event, Open Book Festival, will take place from 6 – 8 September. We are already working on these events, and are excited to share more details with you throughout the year. Stay tuned for more updates on featured authors and programme highlights.
None of what we plan would be possible without our partners and sponsors. Huge thanks goes to the City of Cape Town, whose unwavering support has been instrumental in making Open Book Festival a success. We'd also like to thank our Youth Fest partners; Red Wheelbarrow, the Museum of Childhood, Bertha House, the Bookery, Ikamva Youth, Nal'ibali, Book Dash and the Otto Foundation, for their generosity and collaboration.
Regular program updates and event information will be made available on our website, openbookfestival.co.za. A full list of participants in this year's Youth Fest is available on our website, and can also be downloaded here.
Follow us on Facebook (@openbookfestival), X (@openbookfest) or Instagram (@openbookfest) for the latest news and announcements. Booking queries can be directed to openbooktickets@gmail.com. For media inquiries, sponsorship opportunities, or to arrange any interviews (either with Frankie or a participant of your choice) please contact me, Carmen Wells.