You don’t have to have read the books – or be a reader at all – to attend and love the Jewish Literary Festival! Our fifth event will be held on 28 April 2025, and will be a day of fascinating insights from people who have spent time thinking and writing about them.
Learn from the experts – about Artificial Intelligence; October 7th; the history of the original Jews of Cape Town; the frightening statistics of domestic violence; cherished animal species that are dying due to climate change and why; and what it takes to write your own book.
Our headline visiting international author is British comedian David Baddiel, who wrote the seminal Jews Don’t Count about anti-semitism, and has recently written a memoir called My Family, about his North London childhood. Former leader of the opposition Tony Leon will be speaking about his new book Being There for the very first time. This memoir goes behind the scenes of momentous moments in South African history, including the build-up to 1994, and what happened in 2024 when history was made with the formation of the Government of National Unity.
For the first time, this year we will explore movies made by Jewish South African filmmakers and look at film as a significant form of text. We also have our debut virtual venue where overseas authors will talk in real time about their works. This will include award-winning Zimbabwean-born author Peter Godwin on his incredible memoir Exit Wounds; well-known ENT professor Peter Friedland, now in Australia, on his book Quiet Time with the President, which is about his conversations with his patient Nelson Mandela; and journalist Roy Isacowitz on his book High Times which tells the story of ex-South African Michael Medjuck who became one of the biggest hash and weed smugglers in North America.
On the Thursday before the Festival, we will host a virtual event with Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland, who is also co-host with Israeli news anchor Yonit Levi of a podcast called Unholy: Two Jews on the News. Freedland is the author of The Escape Artist: The man who broke out of Auschwitz to warn the world, and will talk to us about this book, his upcoming book, and what it is like being a Jewish journalist in the world today. Tickets for this event are included in the price of tickets for the festival on 28 April.
Tickets are now available on Quicket. Visit our website and our social media as more information is revealed about our authors and our programme in the build-up to JLF2025.
Please consider becoming a Friend of JLF2025 at R3 600, which entitles you to priority seating at all sessions, a VIP reception for authors and sponsors, and free access to our pre-Festival events, as well as a ticket to our upcoming Festival. To become a friend of JLF2025, go to: www.jewishliteraryfestival.co.za/donate/ Or click here for Yoco: https://pay.yoco.com/r/4jWrBK. Please email proof of payment to garymanstey@gmail.com.
Jewish Literary Festival www.jewishliteraryfestival.co.za
• Digital Magazine Format is available here: March 2025 issue
• Advertise in the Cape Jewish Chronicle and on this website. Contact Lynette Roodt on 021 464 6736 or email advertising@ctjc.co.za. For more information and advertising rate card click here.
• Sign up for our newsletter and never miss another issue.
• Subscribe – simply email us at subscriptions@ctjc.co.za. The Cape Jewish Chronicle, in Print and Digital, is available to those who have subscribed. We offer voluntary subscription options of R450 per year or R37.50 per month via debit order. For payment info click here.
• Jewish organisations in Cape Town – Visit our Portal to the Jewish Community.
• Follow the Cape Jewish Chronicle: Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn
