The middle of nowhere. Richmond can and is called dozy, quaint, bedonnerd and architecturally splendid. It is a one-horse town with a horse museum, a book shop that bibliophiles go to die in before ascending to heaven and a curiosity shop that is curiouser and curiouser. No wonder it was an obvious choice for a book festival. No, more than that, the perfect dorp to boast of the first Book Town in South Africa. And it is free. The person behind the mad hatter dream, is an Afrikaans lecturer Darryl David.

Richmond via Richmond Book Town.jpg

Richmond

Darryl was inspired by Richard Booth who started the illustrious Hay-on-Wye book festival on the border of England and Wales. “I wanted to be an Indian Richard Booth" he says. Against enormous difficulties and prejudice, he was finally supported by Peter Baker, an eccentric Canadian vet from Johannesburg and part time inhabitant of his beloved Richmond. Together they made the dream a reality. With a book shop already in the village, they opened a further two and launched the Bookbedonnerd Book Town Festival. Out of the ashes of Covid, the International Madibaland Literary Book festival, the largest online literary festival in the world, took flight.

Seventeen years since the Indian Richard Booth had a Book Town dream, writers Ben Ockri, John Banville, Breyten Breytenbach, Deon Meyer, Athol Fugard, Etienne van Heerden, Mongane Wally Serote and Albie Sachs to name but a few, have taken part.

The festival may have lost its Government support but by the seat of its pants this hub for book lovers and writers survives, as no-one can bear to see it disappear. This year, more than thirty authors, some flying in from the UK, Australia and Sri Lanka are taking part. Sri Lanka? Yes, Shehan Karunatilaka Booker Prize winner in 2022 will be in Richmond in person.

A bookarooze bus is available for transport from Cape Town to Richmond return contact info@booktownrichmond.co.za. Click here to view the website and full programme.