It all happened at the Open Book Festival Cape Town – Dianne Hofmeyr

Forget the Edinburgh Festival… I’ve discovered the Open Book Festival, Cape Town… organised for its third consecutive year by the indie Cape Town bookshop, The Book Lounge. The city was awash with authors from around the world – NoViolet Bulawayo, who found out the day before the start that she was the first black African woman to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, André Brink (Philida), Patrick DeWitt (Sisters Brothers) Athol Fugard (Master Harold and the Boys), Ian Rankin (Standing in Another Man’s Grave) and Gilian Slovo (An Honourable Man). Ingrid Mennen and Sally Partridge were some of the local children's authors while Polly Dunbar and I came across from the UK.

As part of the build-up, Open Book and Cape Town City Library attempted to break the record for the longest book domino chain and 2 528 books were knocked down. It’s broken the Guinness World record for 2 131 books currently held by the Seattle Public Library in the USA. Here it is on uTube:

http://www.dontparty.co.za/design/books/cape-town-open-book-festival-central-library-cape-town-break-guinness-world-record/

Cape Town City Library is one of the busiest libraries I’ve ever been into and on the Saturday when illustrator, Polly Dunbar and I were there ‘doing our stuff’ the children’s section was crowded. It’s a very beautiful space with spiral staircases and floating floors and a lovely ‘guardian librarian’, Tracey Muir, seen here below with illustrator Niki Daly...

with books against a backdrop of huge murals done by picture book illustrator, Marjorie Van Heerden 

Everywhere I went I found libraries were celebrated places – jam-packed with children, books and artwork.  

The smile on the door that welcomes you into the library of librarian, Hayley-Ann Powell, at

Parkhurst Primary in Mitchell's Plein.

Hevette Le Grange from NB Books and librarian, Jacqui Rodgers, on the stairs, leading to the Library at Tamboerskloof Primary, which were painted by one of the mothers.

A mural on the walls of Auckland Park Primary painted by an ex teacher, Clare Miller. 

Some of my events couldn’t always fit into the school libraries because of the numbers and I found myself ‘preforming’ in vast quadrangles out in the blazing sun with a librarian holding an umbrella over my head if I stood still for long enough...  I’ve never thought to pack sunblock in my box of tricks to take to a school event.

So next time you’re considering a Book Festival… forget Edinburgh, try the Open Book Festival, Cape Town, where books and libraries are celebrated with vibrant energy and where writers and illustrators of children’s books are received with abundant enthusiasm. Just come prepared for all eventualities.

www.diannehofmeyr.com