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Open Book Festival 2018: Modjaji authors and where to find them

by Aimee-Claire Smith | Aug 21, 2018 | People

National Book Week 2018 is coming up and Cape Townian booklovers, nerds, creatives, and lovers of good conversation are all rallying for The Open Book Festival.

Here’s your complete guide to which Modjaji authors will be at Open Book this year, and where you can catch them in conversation – and get them to sign your copies of their books!

Martina Dahlmanns (A Person my Colour – Love, Adoption and Parenting While White)

Friday 8 September – Motherhood
Venue: Fugard Studio
Time: 14.00 – 15.00
Price: R45

Martina Dahlmanns, Ijangolet Ogwang and Megan Ross discuss the complex issues raised in their respective books in the company of Rachel Zadok

Thursday 6 September – Publishing the Private
Venue: HCC Workshop
Time: 12.00 – 13.00
Price: R45

Martina Dahlmanns, Tracy Going and Karina Szczurek explore where the boundaries lie, with Dawn Garisch

**Yewande Omotoso (Bom Boy)**

Saturday 8 September – Works in Progress
Venue: Homecoming Centre Workshop
Time: 16.00 – 17.00
Price: R45

Andrew Brown, Dela Gwala and Yewande Omotoso take Nancy Richards behind the scenes of the books on which they are working.

Yewande will also be chairing Living out my Suitcase and Life After Loss.

**Phillippa Yaa de Villiers (Ice cream headache in my bone and The Everyday Wife)**

Saturday 8 September – The Intimacy of Poetry
Venue: Book Lounge
Time: 14.00 – 15.00
Price: R45

Gabeba Baderoon, Sindiswa Busuku-Mathese and Phillippa Yaa de Villiers speak to Nadia Davids

Friday 7 September – Poetry as Memoir
Venue: HCC Gallery
Time: 18.00 – 19.00
Price: R45

Harry Garuba and Phillippa Yaa de Villiers speak to Linda Kaoma about their most recent collections

**Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa (Flame and Song)**

Saturday 8 September – A Poetic Conversation
Venue: A4 Workshop
Time: 16.00 – 17.00
Price: R45

Join Philippa Namutebi Kabali-Kagwa, Linda Kaoma and Afeefa Omar for an exploration of their poetics. With poetry as the only language; three generations intersect to find cadence, links and intimacy in a space that allows them to imagine each other into their work

Friday 7 September – Poetry as Memoir
Venue: HCC Gallery
Time: 18.00 – 19.00
Price: R45

Harry Garuba and Phillippa Yaa de Villiers speak to Linda Kaoma about their most recent collections

**Michelle Hattingh (I’m the Girl who was Raped)**

Thursday 6 September: Feminism Is: Listening Room
Venue: Fugard Studio
Time: 16.00 – 17.30
Price: Free entry

All persons of trans experience and/or those who identify as women/womxn are invited to share personal experiences that shape their feminist identities in a safe and respectful space. Hosted by Joy Watson with contributions from Janine Adams, Kit Beukes, Michelle Hattingh and Ming-Cheau Lin and Tshepiso Mashinini.

**Khadija Heeger (Beyond the Delivery Room)**

Wednesday 5 September – Representing the Flats
Venue: Homecoming Centre Workshop
Time: 16.00 – 17.00
Price: R45

Khadija Heeger, Kelly-Eve Koopman and Emile YX? speak to Irma Titus about why it’s important to get authentic content into the public domain

Thursday 6 September – Grounding Sessions #cocreatePoetica Edition
Venue: Zer021
Time: 18.30 – 20.30
Price: R40

Join Roché Kester on the not-to-be-missed Grounding Sessions stage. Featured poets include Athena Farrokhzad, vangile gantsho, Khadija Heeger, Kwazi Ndlangisa and Ivan Words

**Jolyn Phillips (Tjieng Tjang Tjerries and other stories)**

Sunday 9 September – The Power of Anthologies
Venue: A4 Ground
Time: 12.00 – 13.00
Price: R0 / Free event

Kobus Moolman, Pieter Odendaal and Judd Yadid take us behind the scenes of Cutting Carrots the Wrong Way, ConVerse and Afrows before inviting Nondwe Mpuma, Jolyn Phillips and Tshepiso Mashinini to join the discussion and read from their work. Hosted by Siphokazi Jonas

Sunday 9 September – InZync Poetry Presents Wisdoms of Water
Venue: Fugard Theatre
Time: 17.30 – 19.30
Price: R45

After 3 days of journeying through Cape Town, poets share their creations and meditations in a celebration of the substance that sustains us all. With Babs Gons (NED), Ivan Words (NED), vangile gantsho, Roseline Lambert, Quaz Roodt, Pieter Odendaal, Toni Stuart, Tshiamo Malatji, Jolyn Phillips and Allison-Claire Hoskins. Hosted by Adrian “Diff” van Wyk Tshiamo

Jolyn will also be chairing The Layer of Translation

**Helen Moffett (Strange Fruit)**

Friday 7 September – Feminism Is: Talking Feminism
Venue: Fugard Theatre
Time: 18.00 – 19.00
Price: R45

B Camminga, Helen Moffett and Tlaleng Mofokeng explore divisions and how they can stand in the way of feminist conversations in the company of Yaliwe Clarke

Saturday 8 September: Behind the Scenes with the Editor
Venue: A4 Ground
Time: 16.00 – 17.00
Price: R45

Genna Gardini, Helen Moffett and Lauren Smith discuss making words work with Niq Mhlongo

**Dawn Garisch (Accident)**