Programme director Jennifer Blane at the opening of the 2026 Franschhoek Literary Festival.

• The Franschhoek Literary Festival takes place from 15 to 17 May 2026.
• The event features panels, interviews, and presentations from well-known authors and other noteworthy figures.
• This year’s edition includes Francis Fukuyama, Anwar McKay, Deon Meyer, Embeth Davidtz, Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen, and many more.

The annual Franschhoek Literary Festival (FLF) returns to the wine town this weekend, promising a celebration of local and international literature.

The event’s opening ceremony took place on Thursday evening at the Town Hall, with remarks from the festival’s organisers and partners.

The FLF, which marks its 19th year, runs from 15 to 17 May 2026, featuring participants such as Francis Fukuyama, Anwar McKay, Deon Meyer, Embeth Davidtz, Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen, and many more.

In her opening remarks, festival director Candice Kerchhoff described the festival as “a meeting place of ideas, imagination, and human connection”.

“We come together not simply to celebrate books, but to celebrate what makes them possible: conversation, challenge, curiosity, and the courage to see the world differently,” the festival organiser said.

“Over the coming days, I hope you will find inspiration in unexpected places, encounter ideas that challenge you, and discover stories that stay with you long after you leave the festival.”

The FLF comes after raging storms battered the Western Cape, leaving infrastructural damage across the region.

“I just want to take a moment to acknowledge that on Monday and Tuesday, we were underwater. Wednesday and Thursday, we were under mud, with no electricity for the entire weekend,” Kerchhoff said.

She thanked the Stellenbosch municipality for helping to restore power.

Kerchhoff also spoke about the event’s school programme, which she called the “heart of the festival”.

“We’ve put 8 500 books into libraries; we’ve made such an incredible difference this year,” she said.

“The school’s programme is at the heart of the festival. I say it’s the best kept secret, but it really is why we do what we do; it is to get kids to read because they love reading.”

Exclusive Books CEO Grattan Kirk shared that the local book industry generated R1.9 billion per annum and that book sales rose 3% in the 12 months to the end of April 2026.

“The culture of reading is important to us all, and that’s why we have events like this,” Kirk said.

Towards the end of his speech, Kirk chose to end on a positive note. “Bookselling and the whole ecosystem, both worldwide and in South Africa, are doing really well.”

News24 editor-in-chief, Adriaan Basson, said: “We meet at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval in the world and South Africa. From Trump and Iran, to Cyril [Ramaphosa] and Phala Phala. You’ll hear those words a few times this week, especially at the breakfasts.”

News24 has been a sponsor and official media partner of the festival since 2022.

Basson gave a “special shout-out” to South African book journalists “who take us into the minds of authors, between the pages of great writing and these days behind the microphone and in front of the camera to talk about the one thing that will outlive even the best AI code, compelling well-written human stories”.

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