Haven’t browsed through the programme yet? We suggest you get right on that before tickets sell out!
Here are a few Workshop Week events exploring new ways of approaching storytelling that you may have never thought of:
- Join Reinhard Venzke to explore the use of comics
- Learn about the use of sound in the writing process with Atiyyah Khan
- Flow through a yoga session with The Writing Room that centres your creative mind
- Delve into our oldest tradition of oral storytelling guided by Natalie Sifuma and Stella Hertantyo
To find the perfect event for you have a look at our programme online and book your tickets.
Find the link in our bio.
#writing #africanauthors #capetown #whatsonincapetown
☕️ Come, sit, and let’s have tea with our living ancestors as we share untold histories of the city we call home.
This intergenerational storytelling exchange invites young people to bring an elder they admire (a grandparent, an aunt, a neighbour, a mentor) and sit down together to talk over tea.
Drawing on South Africa’s long tradition of oral storytelling, the workshop creates a structured but intimate space for the kinds of intergenerational conversations that don’t usually happen in the rush of everyday life.
This is an event about archiving the ordinary. The everyday memories, domestic rituals, and personal histories that don’t make it into the history books, but that are the real texture of this city.
This session is facilitated by Stella Hertantyo and Natalie Sifuma, who are joined by Rizqah Dollie, Nadia Kamies and Andre Marais.
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, 3 June 2026
⏰ Time: 17:00-20:00
📍 Place: Bertha House, Mowbray, Cape Town
🫖 Tea and snacks will be provided
🎟️ Tickets: Link in @openbookfest bio. Please note: Each ticket admits two people, because the idea of this event is for you to bring someone of another generation with you. Space is very limited, so get your tickets!
We’re excited to continue our partnership with Open Book Festival this year as part of Workshop Week (1–6 June)
Climate Lounge will be hosting two writing workshops at Bertha House:
💌 Letters to the Future: our much-loved space to reflect, imagine, and write our way to a new future. Created in partnership with @deartomorrow
🌍 Speculative Fiction Workshop: a new offering exploring possible futures for the African continent, and an invitation to write ourselves beyond dystopia
Whether you’re returning to the page or just beginning, these sessions are about creativity, connection, and collectively building a vision of what could be.
Join us for a week of thoughtful storytelling and future-building. Tickets are available on the Open Book website.
#OpenBookFestival #WorkshopWeek #ClimateLounge #SpeculativeFiction #AfricanFutures #WritingCommunity
The Workshop Week programme is live!
We are so excited to share this line-up of exceptional facilitators and unique events curated to bring us together in the joy of learning and sharing knowledge.
Pull your writing out of the ideation phase and bring your stories to life.
There is something for everyone, all levels of experience welcome.
Browse the programme on our website to grab your tickets and keep an eye out for more details about what you can expect from each event.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Link in our bio
#writing #whatsonincapetown #reading #africanauthors
Youth Festival 2026 was a huge success and we could not have done it without the authors, partners and sponsors who saw the value in this initiative and invested their time and resources to make it happen.
Collaboration with the community is what enables us to continue the work that we do and we are always looking for others to join us.
We hope this unified support system continues to grow as we foster a renewed love of reading in our next generation!
#writing #reading #africanauthors #readingcommunity #capetown
This year’s Youth Fest was the perfect kick off to our 2026 calendar but don’t forget that there is more to come!
Workshop Week will run from the 1st to 6th of June and is set to feature a great lineup of writers, publishers and creatives. This is your chance to dedicate time to learning about the writing process from professionals.
Next up, the first weekend of September brings us to our most anticipated festival event!
The three days of Open Book Festival bring the writing, publishing and reading communities together for panels that stir up deeply valuable conversations.
Remember to enter our Youth Fest giveaway! Find the details on our pinned post.
Join our newsletter to keep up to date with all things Open Book!
Links to more information and all the places you can reach us are in our bio.
#reading #writing #africanauthors #bookfestival #capetown
Stirring up some storybook magic at the Open Book Youth Festival @openbookfest at The Rahmah Library this week!
Martinus Van Tee @martinusvantee author of The Witching Kitchen, did an enchanting reading that had our readers hooked from start to finish ✨🧙
Every reader received a character drawing of themselves and their own copy of the book, keeping the magic alive long after the day ended!
Thank you @martinusvantee@openbookfest and @penguinkidssa 💖
#bookbybook #readtodream #youthfestival
🎉COMPETITION CLOSED🎉
For more chances to win monthly giveaways make sure to join our community WhatsApp group!
A huge thank you to everyone who made the 2026 edition of Youth Fest so exciting!
Whether you were sharing a story, facilitating a workshop, standing up behind a mic, or attending to support. Your presence was vital.
None of this would be possible without our sponsors and partners and we extend all of our thanks to you for your ongoing generosity.
To celebrate, we are giving away this lovely collection of books from local authors!
To enter follow the link in our bio to join our new whatsapp group where we will share updates on festival line-ups, programme changes, event info, giveaways and any additional details needed to keep everyone in the loop.
Make sure you’ve joined the group and for extra entries after that tag a friend in the comments to grow this community!
Please note: competition is open to Cape Town residents only.
#reading #africanauthors #kidsbooks #bookfestival #giveaway
Youth Fest has been speeding past with event after event, all brimming with smiles, shared knowledge and a sense of belonging.
We couldn’t be happier with how the week has come together and it is all thanks to the energy that these authors bring to each space.
There is still more to come and more to share!
Thank you to everyone following along as we share the love of literature and meaningful conversations.
#africanauthors #reading #bookfestival #capetown #kidsbooks
Yesterday we had the opportunity to bring our “messages to the future” workshop which we facilitated in partnership with @deartomorrow , to the @openbookfest Youth Fest.
Thinking about the future in an increasingly unstable world can feel overwhelming. Spaces like this are intended to help us hold these fears and concerns while opening ourselves up to the possibility of positive alternatives. They also give us pause to think about what needs to happen today to make that tomorrow possible.
We are so grateful to Open Book for the ongoing partnership and for this opportunity to bring our workshop to young hearts and minds in Cape Town.
✨Celebrating South African Library Week✨
Today our Grade 2 readers from the Happy Library were treated to a joyous celebration of friendship, tolerance, and fun with Upile uThixo Bongco @upile_uthixo author of Big Shoes to Fill.
Uphile led an amazing and engaging session, filled with laughs, brainstorming, colouring in and so much heart.
We loved reading about how to embrace our uniqueness and being kind to others 💖
Thank you Uphile @upile_uthixo and our friends at @openbookfest and Pan Macmillan @panmacmillansakids for the wonderful (and happy!) morning spent in our Happy Library.
#africanwriters #bookbybook #readtodream
Today was a busy one for our readers and storytellers with 8 events in one day!
Central Library hosted various storytime sessions this morning with Buhle Ngaba, Martinus van Tee, Upile uThixo Bongco and Zingisa Mase.
We are grateful to Cape Town Central Library for letting us takeover and to Pick ‘n Pay for providing the most delicious snack bags!
There are still a few events left that you can join, head over to the link in our bio to RSVP.
#reading #kidsbooks #bookfestival #libraryweek #africanauthors
