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Indie Authors Rise Up book festival: A celebration of independent writing in Helderberg
The Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival celebrates independent voices with a unique fringe festival format.
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The Helderberg region is set to host the third annual Indie Authors Rise Up Book Festival from August 16 to 24, 2025, offering a fresh, inclusive platform for independent authors across all genres to connect with readers and fellow creatives.
Unlike traditional book festivals, this event is modelled as a fringe festival, meaning participation is open to any indie author, writing in any genre. Authors take the reins in planning their own events, selling their books independently or through a centralised book table.
'The festival is unlike other traditional book festivals, as it is structured as a fringe festival. This unique model means that participation is open to any indie author writing in any genre," Festival organiser Leslie Downie explains.
"This is a bottom-up festival, with authors responsible for planning their own events. Authors sell their own books for their own account, and can also put their books on a centralised book table.'
The festival will feature 34 authors this year, including a special collaborative book created by dozens of Imibala Trust scholars, supported by an Arts & Culture grant. With genres spanning children's books, romance, thrillers, self-help, cookery, academic works, human rights, travel, conservation, memoirs, and more, the festival welcomes all literary voices.
Downie highlights the festival's commitment to fostering emerging talent.
'The festival provides a platform for independent authors to promote their own work. Listing the participating authors' books on the Clowder Bookstore website helps indie authors to professionalise their output. The festival invites self-publishing service providers to the festival to drive healthy competition in this space.'
The festival also supports disadvantaged authors by assisting them to find free venues, while other authors pay venue fees.
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One of the festival's key highlights is the Imibala Trust event on Saturday, 16 August, which showcases the collaborative writing efforts of disadvantaged scholars. The event is free and takes place in Imibala's new café, run by tourism trainees.
A variety of workshops and talks will be held throughout the festival, including a highly anticipated legal workshop for creatives by Spoor & Fisher on 22 August at the Drama Factory. Tickets for most events are R60, which include a glass of Poetry wine, while some events are free.
'The Friday morning, 22 August, legal workshop for creatives by Spoor & Fisher is an absolute must. At R60 (including a glass of wine) it is the most exciting event at the festival,' Downie says.
Self-publishing service providers like printers, distributors, illustrators, and ISBN assistants will also be available at the Drama Factory that day, offering writers a 15% discount on their first print run.
Other exciting features include the launch of Owen Dean's controversial new book Echoes of Injustice, which challenges the Netflix documentary on the Lion King court case, and inspiring talks by well-known speakers such as Dean Allen.
The festival spans multiple venues throughout Gordons Bay, Somerset West, and Strand, including pubs, wine farms, clubs, coffee shops, and theatres, creating a community-focused celebration of local independent publishing.
Indie Authors Rise Up is 'celebrating indie self-expression and the beauty of the Helderberg'.
For more details and to reserve tickets, visit [
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