Kopano Matlwa won the 2006/2007 European Union Award for her first novel, Coconut, which went on to become a bestseller, and subsequently jointly won the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa in 2010. Her [...]
Donica Merhazion is the author of Born at the End of the World, a debut historical novel inspired by her family’s experiences during Ethiopia’s Red Terror, a difficult period in the region’s history. Born in [...]
Shawn Buck moved to Cape Town 12 years ago from America to work in South Africa’s social impact sector. While working as a nonprofit consultant during the day, he started the Cape Town chapter of [...]
Jessica Powers is founder and publisher of Catalyst Press (www.catalystpress.org), which has specialized in publishing African writers since its founding in 2016. This year marks both its tenth anniversary and the publication of two hundred [...]
Lebogang Neo Matseke is a Johannesburg-based author, filmmaker, and screenwriter. Her creative work is rooted in African cosmologies, ancestral storytelling, and reflections on identity, grief, and redemption. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in [...]
Prev Reddy is an award-winning comedian, actor and digital creator based in Johannesburg. He holds a BA in Motion Picture Medium and is known for his viral sketches and stand-up work exploring identity, queerness and [...]
Saaleha Bhamjee is a full-time chef and restaurateur, owning and baking for Upcycled Café, Lazeeza’s Bakery and Origami Asian Food. She has had short stories shortlisted three times for the Writivism Award. Her debut novel, [...]
Samantha Keller grew up in South Africa, and after a decade in London, moved to Connecticut, where she completed her MFA at Fairfield University. The Light Remains is Sam’s first novel, and it received an [...]
Sally Cranswick lives in Cape Town and is a writer and workshop facilitator with a special interest in life-writing and memoir. She has an MA in Creative Writing from UCT. Before coming to South Africa, [...]
Lọlá Ákínmádé is an international bestselling author, keynote speaker, and award-winning photographer. Her work has appeared in National Geographic, BBC, CNN, Guardian, Sunday Times Travel, Daily Telegraph, New York Times and Lonely Planet, amongst others. [...]
Thalente Ndlovu is a multi-talented individual and a passionate advocate for the arts, and a Master’s candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Thalente has made significant contributions as a writer, actor, director, stage manager, and [...]
Jane Nshuti is the founder of “Tamu by Jane”, a company that delivers nutritious plant-based Sunday lunches and hosts cooking classes and African feasts. Jane is an accomplished recipe developer, content creator, and food stylist. [...]
Lerato Mahlangu is an emerging writer of short stories. She writes boldly within the black-comedy genre and uses humor, satire and sharp observation to explore complex realities. Her stories have appeared in FIYAH, as well [...]
Dyondzo Kwinika is a South African writer. His work stays close to memory, family, masculinity, and the emotional weight carried across generations, grounded in township life and everyday realities. The writing draws on silence, fragmentation, [...]
START YOURFESTIVAL READINGIt’s time to stock up on this year’s titles and get reading!With the festival only two months away, it’s times to dive into work written by this year’s panellists—here are a few suggestions [...]
Krystle Zara Appiah is a British-Ghanaian writer, editor and screenwriter based in London. She has a degree in literature and creative writing from the University of Kent. In 2020, she was one of forty writers [...]
The Open Book Festival gave me a community.In 2025, I found myself facing an identity crisis. I believed deeply in a world that was more equal and just, but I felt increasingly disconnected from the [...]
Dr Sanah Ahsan is a poet, liberation psychologist and educator whose work plays in the wild terrain of woundedness and the sacred landscapes of falling apart, centering compassion and embracing each other’s madness. Sanah has [...]
