When (famous) Eon de Vos (off my telly when I was growing up) reached out to ask if I’d help curate the Book Festival element of The Hermanus FynArts festival, I knew immediately that I had absolutely no clue how to do that, so of course, I said yes.
Five months later and by some fluke of luck, contacts and the good coffee, we’ve managed to not only pull in News24 as a major sponsor, but also build an astonishing line-up of twelve spectacular events with a host of bestselling authors and big-name personalities.
Highlights include two News24 breakfasts; Politics for Breakfast with Adriaan Basson, and State of the Shadow Nation, with SA’s top political journos.
For the financially minded, there’s a panel covering books by formidable industry insiders with big ideas about the shifting financial landscape and how a handful of local bankers are Breaking Banking globally and reforming it with trendsetting innovations.
And if local crime, politics and banking are enough to drive you to drink, we’ve got the perfect event. In A Book and a Bottle, a successful Wine Maker, a contentious wine journalist, and a wine writer (Red Tape by Bridgid Hamilton Russel) knock heads as News24’s Wine Editor, Daléne Fourie grills them on the state of wine writing; is it critical journalism or just paid-for ratings, all alongside three delicious courses and a wine pairing.
We’re also offering a rare opportunity for fans to get up close and personal with Irma Joubert and her latest novel, Rebekka van Kameeldoornplaas. And I chat to multi-talented, multi-award-winning author Kopano Matlwa (remember Coconut? Well she has a new one out that’s even better!)
There’s a writing masterclass with Mike Nicol, to get that book out of you, as well as a panel with big-name authors Sally Andrew, of the Tannie Maria mysteries and Tony Park, with their books that have gone bestseller.
Dion Chang, renowned trend analyst and pet doula (a what? Join us to find out), brings his big seller, A Pawfect Life, unpacking the multi-billion-dollar business of pet parenting, including CBD treats for anxious dachshunds, birthday pawties, plane trips and prams for pets and more barking madness.
And one of the panels I’m most looking forward to is at SANSA, SA’s own NASA. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to check out Africa’s 24-hour Space Weather Centre in action, then join SANSA’s Daleen Fouché, chatting to Dr Adriana Marais (Out of this World into the Next), a theoretical physicist and internationally renowned advocate for off-world exploration, preparing humanity for a future beyond earth, and Penny Haw, journalist turned bestselling author of The Woman and her Stars to do some Stargazing.
On Saturday, we’ve got a Book Club Showdown. Which book club is better, IRL, online, silent or as a podcast? Come watch the battle, and on Sunday, let’s settle everything down to a quiet roar, with a Silent Book Club meeting.
Tickets are selling out fast on Webtickets. See you there?
Article by: By Paige Nick
