The Franschhoek Literary Festival announced this week that the Sunday Times and Porcupine Ridge Wines have come on board to support its vision.

Susan Russell, General Manager, Marketing for Avusa Media, says that involving the Sunday Times with the FLF is a natural extension of the newspaper’s ongoing commitment to South African writers and writing and school support projects, including ReadRight and preparation for Matric. The Sunday Times Storybook Campaign aims to donate a mother-tongue copy of Storytime, a book of 10 South African stories, to half a million children over the coming year.

Tim Rands of Boekenhoutskloof, the Franschhoek winery, says, “We believe that there is a very positive brand fit between the FLF and the Porcupine Ridge brand. People who enjoy drinking our wine tend to appreciate and enjoy reading books.”

FLF 2010, a celebration of books and writers, takes place for the fourth time in the Cape Winelands village from 14 – 16 May. The price of tickets remains the same: R60 per event, with concessions for students. Regular Festival participants know that the proceeds of ticket sales and donations go into the FLF Library Fund which supplies books to schools and crèches, with the long-term goal of achieving a new community library.

FLF Director and author Christopher Hope says, “The Sunday Times and Porcupine Ridge stand exactly for those things that the FLF and Franschhoek also celebrate, namely good writing and fine wine.”