Bianca Flanders reading Pumpkin Finds her Beat as part of Storytime at Central Library. Picture: Supplied
The Open Book Festival and Book Lounge will have its third annual Youth Festival, aiming to celebrate youth literature and creativity.
Youth Fest 2025, which will run from Wednesday March 19 to Wednesday March 26, will bring together established and emerging voices in children's and young adult literature, aiming to foster a love of reading and writing among young people across Cape Town.
The line-up includes authors and storytellers Mia Arderne, Zizipho Bam, and Salamina Mosese in Youth Fest for the first time, while contributors such as Siphokazi Jonas, Alex Latimer, Refiloe Moahloli, and Athambile Masola will make a comeback this year.
Events will take place across various venues including public libraries, schools, the Book Lounge in the CBD, the Cape Town Museum of Childhood in Rondebosch, and Bertha House in Mowbray.
While many school-focused events are not open to the public, there will be an extensive programme of public events including interactive story times, and creative writing workshops.
All events are free to attend, though registration is essential due to venue capacity limitations. For booking queries, contact openbooktickets@gmail.com
"Youth Fest continues to evolve as a platform where young voices can find their power through stories," says festival coordinator Frankie Murrey.
"This year's programme reflects our commitment to nurturing creativity and critical thinking among young readers and writers, while ensuring these opportunities reach those who might otherwise miss out."
There will also be a book donation initiative, purchasing works by participating authors for distribution to schools and community organisations.
Those interested in supporting this initiative can contact Mr Murrey at frankie@openbookfestival.co.za.
Youth Fest 2025 marks the beginning of the year for the Open Book Festival, with Workshop Week scheduled from Monday June 2 to Saturday June 7, and the main festival following from Friday September 5 to Sunday September 7.
For programme updates and event information, visit website at openbookfestival.co.za.
Follow the Open Book Festival on social media for regular programming announcements.
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