Final programme activities
The 2008 Best Book and Best First Book overall winners will be announced at the Franschhoek Literary Festival in South Africa on 18 May 2008. Before heading to the Franschhoek Literary Festival, six of the eight regional winners will take part in a series of public and community-oriented events in Johannesburg and Cape Town
Monday 12 May, Johannesburg, South Africa
Xarra books (Newtown) in collaboration with Wits University writers' group(17h00-19h00)
Each CWP regional winner will give a reading from their book. A question and answer session with the Wits University writers' group and audience will follow.
'History, Politics, Gender and Identity: The state of African Literature in the 21st Century'. (Roka Lounge, 44 Stanley Avenue, Milpark, Johannesburg 19h30-22h00)
CWP writers will attend the Monday Night Lekgotla meeting, an intimate thought exchange between prominent speakers and the audience. Karen King-Aribisala and Sade Adeniran will be among the panel of speakers (Tickets required)
Tuesday 13 May, Johannesburg, South Africa
Writer's workshop (corner of Lothbury and Fawley streets in Auckland Park, 10.00-13.00)
Informal gathering of loyal customers, writers and media and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize winners for an in-discussion event.
Media Q and A session with the writers at Boekehuis bookshop following from 12.00-13.00.
Exclusive Books signing (Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg, Tel: 011 447 3028, 17.30-19.30)
CWP writers will be selling and signing their winning books, followed by a discussion.
Wednesday 14 May, Educational Tour, Cape Town, South Africa
Westerford High School school visit (Main Road, Rondebosch, 7700, 14.00 -15.00 )
CWP writers will visit to Westerford High School and engage and run workshops with 180 students from the ages of 17-18.
Centre for Creative Writing (University of Cape Town, 16.00 – 17.30)
Writers will attend and run a Masters Class at the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Cape Town.
Friday 16 May, 2008 Franschhoek Literary Festival, South Africa
Groot Drakenstein Prison (10.00 – 11.00)
Writers will be attending the launch of Fifteen Men at the Groot Drakenstein Prison. A book written by fifteen maximum security prisoners to be published by Jonathan Ball in association with the FLF will be launched.
Groendal Container Library (11.00-12.00)
Unveiling of the Groendal Container Library by the famous South African writer Gcina Mhlope at Groendal Community Hall in Franschhoek.
The Style Council panel (13.00-14.00)
Sade Adeniran will join a panel for The Style Council in the Hospice Hall to discuss how writers come by their writing style (ticketed event)
2008 CWP Best First Book winners panel (16.00- 17.00)
Sade Adeniran (Nigeria), Scott Richardson (Canada) and Tahmima Anam (Bangladesh) will read from their work and talk about their life and work in the Franschhoek High School Hall (free event).
Saturday 17 May, Franschhoek Literary Festival, South Africa
2008 CWP Best Book winners panel (11:00 – 12.00)
Karen King-Aribisala (Nigeria), Lawrence Hill (Canada) and Steven Carroll (Australia) will read from their work and talk about their life, work and latest novels (free event)
Writing Home panel (13.00 – 14.00)
Tahmima Anam will join a panel of writers in the Hospice Hall for the Writing Home slot, and talk about the complexities of writing about home from abroad (ticketed event)
Stranger than Fiction panel (16.00-17.00)
Scott Richardson, the Best First Book winner in the Canada and Caribbean region for The End of the Alphabet, joins Stranger than Fiction in the Church Hall where writers reveal how they have altered the facts of their works to fit the fiction (ticketed event)
Sunday 18 May, Franschhoek Literary Festival, South Africa
Commonwealth Writers' Prize overall announcement, 14.30-15.30
Justice Nicholas Hasluck, Chairman of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Dr Z. Pallo Jordan, Minister of Arts and Culture, South Africa, and the Franschhoek Literary Festival, will be making the announcement of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize 2008 Overall Best Book and Best First Book Winners. To be held in the Franschhoek School main hall (Akademie Street Franschhoek 7690 Western Cape Po Box 178).
Media Q and A (15.30-16.30)
A reception will be held immediately after the announcement at the Franschhoek School.
| Related Links | |
 | |
 | Franschhoek Literary Festival |
| |
| Related Documents | |
| |
| Participants list 51 KB) |
| |
