Pagecast was at the 2025 Open Book Festival, speaking with authors about their writing journeys and the stories they share with readers. In this episode, Bongani Kona interviews Frankie Murrey about her latest work, A Collection of Gaps.
Scenes from the Prince Albert Leesfees 2025
Taking part in the Prince Albert Leesfees this year felt like a homecoming for The Fourth Boy, Andrew Robert Wilson‘s debut novel, which is partly set in the Karoo, with several pivotal scenes of the novel taking place in Prince Albert itself.
Andrew and I were in conversation about the book early on Saturday morning and enjoyed many other events on this year’s programme. It was great to listen to Martin Steyn speak about his work again, and to meet and talk to Alex Hamilton, among other wonderful authors.
Prince Albert is a quirky place to explore. By now, I have my favourites – like the Prince Albert Art Gallery, The Lazy Lizard, the Saturday Market, the Green Prince Gin Bar and many, many more. Most recent discovery: ONS – not to be missed when you visit!
Highlight of the festival since last year is Poetry at Sunrise. Prince Albert is full of talented youngsters and to see them perform their creative work in the stunning quarry just outside of the town’s centre is a magical experience.
Thank you to Hannes Visser and all the hardworking volunteers who put this inspiring festival together! One day back home and I am already looking forward to the next Leesfees, and I sincerely hope that I will be visiting Prince Albert again even sooner. So many places still to explore and the Karoo … The space, the light, the incredible, harsh beauty of it all … I can never get enough of it!
Thank you to De Kleine Prince for hosting me for the weekend. I felt like I was living in a fairytale place.
Until next year, or sooner, dear Prince Albert!
Open Book Festival 2025: Karavan Press & Holland House Books
The first weekend of September is Open Book Festival time (5-7 September 2025), and we – Karavan Press, Holland House Books and our wonderful authors – are thrilled to be part of these inspiring, thought-provoking and soul-restoring conversations.
Friday, 5 September 2025
11:00-12:00
12:30-13:30
14:00-15:00
16:00-17:00
Saturday, 6 September 2025
10:00-11:00
14:00-15:00
16:00-17:30
18:00-19:00
Sunday, 7 September 2025
14:00-15:00
Karavan Press author Nick Mulgrew is also in town for the festival, but will be wearing his publisher’s hat for the occasion and participating in a celebration of ten years of uHlanga Press. Congratulations, uHlanga, Nick and all your amazing poets. Every uHlanga poetry collection is a celebration of beauty and our humanity. Thank you for ten years of outstanding publishing!
For the full programme see: Open Book Festival
Book tickets: Webtickets
Prince Albert Leesfees 2025
It is time for the Prince Albert Leefees again (29-31 August 2025) and we are delighted that Andrew Robert Wilson features on the programme with his debut novel, The Fourth Boy, which is partly set in Prince Albert and the surroundings.
He will be in conversation with Karina M. Szczurek on Saturday, 30 August, 9:00-9:40AM.
Full festival programme:
Open Book Festival needs us!
Dear Literature Lovers,
The Open Book Festival has just put out a call for donations:
Please consider donating to the Open Book Festival.
Many organisations face funding crises right now and we unfortunately find ourselves in that position. We have been partly reliant on support from different levels of Government since the inception of Open Book, and there is still, so close to this year’s September festival, no clarity about the applications we have made to the Western Cape or National Government.
Your investment in the festival will not bring you dividends or shares, but what it will bring is the knowledge that the festival that you love and in whose value you believe will continue to exist.
For years we have spoken about our belief that Open Book is not owned by us – it is owned by all those who contribute to making it an inclusive, vibrant festival that consists of incredibly important and difficult conversations and serves to highlight some of the fantastic writing coming out of South Africa (and beyond).
If you see value in Open Book, please consider contributing.
Questions you may have:
How much money does the Festival need?
R500 000
What happens if the festival doesn’t raise the money?
The festival will still go ahead, but we will have to borrow money to ensure that all our participants get paid. Longer term, the consequences are far more troubling. Borrowing money is not sustainable, and Open Book will then likely not survive beyond this year.
What happens if the Government funding does come through at the last minute?
If we raise our target and our proposals for funding are approved at the last minute, the money will be used for next year’s festival.
Is there anything else we can do to help?
If you have contacts to potential sponsors, please put us in touch – email introductions, meetings or whatever else makes sense. As government funding becomes increasingly difficult to access, it becomes even more crucial for the Arts Sector to be able to build partnerships with corporate entities.
It’s worth noting that sponsorships can also be in-kind, but currently we are in vital need of ‘paper money’.
If you have any other questions, please email either Mervyn or Frankie.
Final words from the Open Book team
Since 2011, we have been curating a festival that speaks to our love for the work of South African (and other) writers, as well as our commitment to seeing the literary landscape in this country transform. It has been a space where we have been privileged to create inclusive, interesting, entertaining and meaningful events that are part of much broader conversations. We have witnessed friendships being made, work being created and published because of new connections, and have come to think of so many of you as family. We are heartbroken that the continued existence of Open Book feels so tenuous. Please help if you can.
Mervyn, Frankie and the Open Book Team
DONATE TO SUPPORT THE OPEN BOOK FESTIVAL
FynArts BOOK TALKS – Debut Writers and their Books
Please join us for the following BOOK TALKS hosted by the FynArts Festival, taking place between 6 and 16 June 2025 in Hermanus.
Book here: Webtickets
Book here: Webtickets
Book here: Webtickets
24 May: Karavan Press at the KBF
The literary festival season continues and we are delighted to announce that the following Karavan Press authors will be participating in the Kingsmead Book Fair this year:
09:30-10:00 DOT TO DOT | The Book Room
Meet the Freckolions and the Spots who are bitterly arguing over Face’s vast landscape. Then one day an alien craft descends on Face and sends the Freckolions and Spots into panic! SA actress Lisa Trudoux introduces her first charming and quirky children’s book Dot To Dot which teaches kids the invaluable lessons of self-love and kindness towards others in the most enchanting way.
09:30-10:30 WRITING OUR PAIN: Contending with traumatic narratives | Chapel
Sewela Langeni (Making Friends with Feelings) provides a safe space for Jeffrey Rakabe (Led by Shepherds) and Thobeka Yose (In Silence My Heart Speaks) to chat about transferring pain to the page.
11:00-12:00 PRETTY PROTAGONISTS: Crafting heroines with humanity | Mackenzie 1
Amy Heydenrych (Chasing Marian) examines the creation of the powerful women at the centre of the works of Zukiswa Wanner (Love Marry Kill), Michelle Kekana (The Fragile Mental Health of Strong Women) and Qarnita Loxton (What’s Wrong with June?).
12:30-13:30 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: People and place in historical fiction | Lange Hall
Penny Haw (Follow Me To Africa: A Novel), Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (The Creation of Half-Broken People) and Louisa Treger (The Paris Muse) discuss facets of historical fiction – beyond the period in which it’s set – that really matter with Michael Boyd (Weight of Shade).
12:30-13:30 Life is the greatest teacher: Writing from experience | Music Centre
Merle Levin (World According to Merle: Memoir of a Deliciously Daring Granny), Costa Ayiotis (Matriarchs, Meze and the Evil Eye: A Memoir) and Glenn Orsmond (Crash and Burn: A CEO’s Crazy Adventures in the SA Airline Industry) tell Karina Szczurek (Karavan Press) about their weird uncles and the strange lady from the office.
14:30-15:30 LITERARY FITION VERSUS GENRE FICTION: What makes a book ‘literary’? | Chapel
Peter-Adrian Altini (Salt Water Pool Boy) and Charl-Pierre Naudé (The Equality of Shadows) discuss style and complexity with Craig Higginson (The Ghost of Sam Webster).
16:00-17:00 Navigating our life stories: Lessons learned and unlearned | Lange Hall
Khaya Dlanga (Life is Like That Sometimes) and Gavin Evans (Son of a Preacher Man) tell Anna Stroud (Who Looks Inside) about what they have learned while writing about themselves.
16:00-17:00 Stretching the imagination: Pushing boundaries in storytelling | Mackenzie 3
Onke Mazibuko (Canary) follows Nick Clelland (Good Hope), Siya Khumalo (The Queer Book of Revelation) and Sam Wilson (The First Murder on Mars) into the detailed, fresh worlds of their books.
16:00-17:00 Publish or perish: Women in the publishing industry | Chapel
Queen bees Karina Szczurek (Karavan Press), Melinda Ferguson (Melinda Ferguson Books) and Zukiswa Wanner (Paivapo Publishing) underline the importance of curating stories from a feminine perspective with Sewela Langeni (Book Circle Capital).
Full programme: KBF 2025
Get your KBF tickets here: Webtickets
16-18 May: Karavan Press at the FLF 2025
The FLF is just around the corner and we are looking forward to another unforgettable bookish experience. Please join the following Karavan Press authors and Friends for a series of exciting events and workshops throughout the festival weekend:
Friday, 16 May
Saturday, 17 May
Full programme:
FLF 2025
Scenes from the 2025 JFL
The fifth bi-annual Jewish Literary Festival took place yesterday and it was a day of books, books, books! And sunshine, writers, readers and fascinating conversations. Thank you to all who make this day of dialogue and engagement possible!
Thank you to all the authors for a day of insight and literary joy!
karavanpress.com 