Open Book Festival funding crisis — community response and latest government decisions
Since the festival's initial appeal last week, the organisation expresses deep gratitude for the community support received, with contributors donating R104,177.23 toward the R500,000 target needed for the September 2025 festival. The organisation has also streamlined its donation process to make supporting the initiative more accessible.
However, recent correspondence from government departments has clarified the extent of the funding crisis. When the initial appeal was made, the festival had not yet received final decisions from key funding applications.
The Western Cape Cultural Affairs and Sport department has now confirmed support of just over R55,000 – a fraction of the R300,000 originally applied for. Meanwhile, the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture's list of supported projects does not include Open Book Festival at all. After years of receiving crucial multi-year funding as a Western Cape Flagship Project, including R700,000 in 2024, this represents a dramatic reduction in government support.
"We can no longer depend on government support," stated the festival organisers. "This represents an unprecedented shortfall for an event that operates on an annual budget of approximately R2 million."
Open Book Festival encompasses three major annual events: the flagship September festival, the Youth Festival in March, and Workshop Week in June. If Open Book Festival ceases to exist, the impact will be felt by many writers who have enjoyed the platform the festival creates, the sales of books, the opportunities to meet, engage and connect with other writers and the opportunities to talk to readers and engaged citizens.
The festival's impact resonates deeply within the literary community. Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola noted that "Open Book reminds me of the beauty and generosity in the world, and gives me permission to feel full joy for a few days." Author Damilare Kuku observed, "I have never been to a festival where I could see art healing people in real time."
Shubnum Khan, author of Onion Tears, How I Accidentally Became a Global Stock Photo and The Lost Love of Akbar Manzil describes Open Book as "truly one of the best and nicest book festivals I've ever been to. Everyone was just so warm and welcoming and everyone, whether I knew them or not, felt like old friends."
Novelist Yewanda Omotoso expresses her experience of the festival as "really special. I remembered what it is about Open Book that reverberates so powerfully ... A generosity of spirit that inhabits the festival and all who touch it."
"Without immediate support, there may be no Open Book Festival beyond September 2025," organisers urged. "Every contribution matters. Every share extends our reach. Every voice raised in support strengthens the community we've built together."
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