Fringe Fireside Chats

8-11 August 2024

Independent Authors Rise Up

Join self-publishing experts and authors and tap into their creativity

Photo Credit: Murray Williams

Fringe Fireside Chats™

Join us at the Helderberg’s annual Fringe Fireside Chats festival, where creativity knows no bounds. Dive into a world of imagination as indie authors showcase their latest works and engage in thought-provoking discussions. Last year Fringe Fireside Chats hosted its first groundbreaking fringe festival for self-published authors in Somerset West. Our 2024 festival is over the Women’s Day weekend from 8 to 11 August, also in the Helderberg, Western Cape.

Small or unaffiliated writers will showcase their self-starting kind of creativity, from serious bibliophiles to poets to flaky eccentrics to mountaineers, together with talks on how to self publish. The festival has partnered with 30 talented self-published authors, as well as local pubs, restaurants, wine farms, clubs and coffee shops in Gordons Bay, Somerset West and Strand, and the Golden Eye and Drama Factory.

Whether you’re a fan of fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss this chance to discover your next favourite read while supporting indie authors and local venues. Aspiring authors can also join useful workshops on how to self-publish. We are an open access festival so why not consider having your own debut book ready for the Fringe Fireside Chats 2025 festival! Read More…

About the fringe

Fringe Fireside Chats was inspired by the first fringe festival in Edinburgh. Unlike formally organised festivals, fringe festivals accommodate anyone with a desire to participate who can find a venue willing to host them. They start out on a shoestring, relying on creativity, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. Fringe festivals are non-traditional in style and subject matter and support emerging independent artists and those who defy mainstream conventions.

The Fringe Fireside Chats festival celebrates and supports self-published authors, as well as providing a platform for self-publishing service providers to explain and promote their services. The inaugural festival hosted talks by specialists for aspiring authors on how to self-publish, as well as chats by authors who had already successfully self-published before the festival. The 2024 programme has been expanded to include Gordons Bay and the Strand.

The Helderberg is a world class destination and Fringe Fireside Chats is an annual event that aims to support the entire region of the Helderberg. Next year we hope to include events in Sir Lowry’s Pass and Lwandle. The Helderberg is on the fringe of other Cape destinations and is well suited to a winter event, when the weather is unpredictable and there is very little to do in the area. So mark your calendars and get ready to celebrate literature in all its diverse glory!