“We piloted Workshop Week in 2022 to offer aspiring and experienced writers the chance to participate in practical workshop sessions with experienced writers. It turned out to be very popular and sessions were fully booked at a rapid rate. It, therefore, made perfect sense to bring this event back for 2023,” says Frankie Murrey, event curator for the Open Book Festival.
Expert facilitators will spend six days sharing skills and tools that will leave you better equipped for your writing journey.
The Workshop Week forms part of three events planned for this year – an event dedicated to young readers earlier in the year, the Workshop Week in June, and the flagship Open Book Festival which is in the diary for early September.
Murrey says that Open Book has always understood the value of skill sharing, and hopes people take advantage of the sessions.
“This is also the first time that we're offering multi-day workshops. Ukuthula | Invoking Silence, is a 3-day workshop that engages and evokes creative writing from and against gender-based violence. The second is by Dawn Garisch from the Life Writing Collective. She will be facilitating a 2-day workshop called Life as a Work of Fiction. The full program is available online, and we can share that there will be sessions exploring memoirs, poetry, short stories, and more. We advise people to book early to avoid disappointment - there are limited places available at the workshops,” she adds.
Participants must be available for all days of the multi-day workshops.
“The Red Wheelbarrow Society will also host an open mic session which is an opportunity to hear headline poets and support other voices. You can even perform yourself,” says Murrey.
The Workshop Week 2023 is made possible by the Department of Arts, Sports and Culture, and the Heinrich Boll Foundation.
Limited tickets are on sale via the Open Book Festival website (www.openbookfestival.co.za)
