Open Book Festival set to be a "boekjol of epic proportions"

"It's going to be a boekjol of epic proportions," said founder and organiser Mervyn Sloman. "We have tried to be creative with the programme, doing our utmost to ensure as broad an appeal as possible. Open Book is on the point of concluding exchange arrangements with two prestigious international literary festivals, which will see those festivals bringing international writers to Open Book 2012 and, as excitingly, Open Book taking promising South African writers to those festivals to increase their international exposure. Expect details to be made public before the end of the year."

Open Book Festival highlights

• 32 books launches
  
• Five Forthcoming Attractions events, in which authors read from unpublished works
  
• Three Author Suppers with the likes of Christopher Hope, NoViolet Bulawayo, Lauren Beukes and Paul Harding among others for R350 at Trees Restaurant in the Townhouse Hotel
  
• Three Writer Sports events, such as Cringe Factor with Sam Wilson, Tom Eaton and Justin Fox, where the writers are tasked with writing the worst possible opening page to a novel within a dedicated time frame - with the help of the audience of course
  
• The Novel Sounds event, in which authors will read to music composed specially for this event.

Sloman continued: "We're certain that the Bring your Questions events, in which attendees are welcome to fire questions at opinion leaders such as Jay Naidoo, Jonathan Jansen and Moeletsi Mbeki, will also be well worth attending."

Author highlights

• Jane Bussmann will be performing Bussmann's Holiday, which details the events covered in the book The Worst Date Ever: Or How it Took a Comedy Writer to Expose Africa's Secret War - the show is currently scheduled for 8pm on 22 and 23 September at the Fugard Theatre.
  
• Earl Lovelace - a 78-year-old author, essayist, journalist, playwright and novelist from Trinidad and recipient of the overall Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book in 1997 for his novel Salt, speaks about his latest novel, Is Just a Movie, which has attracted praise from all quarters, confirming his status as a master storyteller.
  
• Paul Harding is involved in several Open Book events. The relative newcomer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for his debut novel, Tinkers, which was also named one of the Hundred Best Novels of 2009.
  
• John Crace is a journalist and author. Known for his "Digested Reads" column in The Guardian newspaper, a selection of which was published last year as Brideshead Abbreviated. He will be launching his new title, Vertigo: One Football Fan's Fear of Success at Open Book as well as presenting his digested reads.

"I am extremely proud and grateful that names such as Sifiso Mzobe and Cynthia Jele are coming down from upcountry in support," continued Sloman.

An event programme and further information on all the authors and events is available online at openbookfestival.co.za and tickets are available exclusively through Computicket.

Contact the Book Lounge on +27 (0)21 462 2425, Frankie Murrey on +27 (0)82 958 7332.