Refugee novels deserve a second life. Especially now

For months now, the news has been about little else but refugees and asylum seekers, and supporters and opponents of their reception have become increasingly polarised. A situation strongly reminiscent of the theme in the novel The elusive by Elvis Peeters from 2006.

The atmosphere in the countries where refugees - 'fortune seekers' according to some - seek refuge is becoming increasingly grim. In our country, too, parties are becoming increasingly divided. People in favour of reception run the risk of being booed - as happened this week to 43-year-old Dasja Abresch from Steenbergen - while people worried about its consequences often feel they are not taken seriously either.

The elusive

Where do we know this from again? The current climate reminds us, among other things, of the penetrating novel The elusive (2006) by Flemish writing duo Elvis Peeters, which was shortlisted for the 2006 Libris Literature Prize. Indeed, 2006: Elvis Peeters had foresight. At that time, there were also countless asylum seekers and refugees who wanted to try to build a better life elsewhere, rickety boats ventured across and dozens of men, women, children drowned in the Mediterranean waves every month. But Europe was not sighing as hard then as it is now.

At The elusive Elvis Peeters outlines a scenario in which Europe is overrun by foreigners hoping that a better life awaits them here. The raw power of The elusive lies in the fact that the perspective does not lie with either party; the desires, fears and dreams of the migrants as well as the inhabitants of the host country are addressed. How resilient is a society that is 'besieged' by countless others? Which principles come under pressure? Which side do you choose? In a down-to-earth, documentary novel, Elvis Peeters raises such questions, without answering them all. Although The elusive greatly magnify the issues, you can now recognise eerily many elements in everyday reality. Elvis Peeters had foresight. The novel demands to be reread.

The clandestines

That includes one of the best books we read in recent years, namely The clandestines by Moroccan writer Youssouf Amine Elalamy (b. 1961). The novella, written in 2000 Les clandestins, awarded the Grand Prix Atlas, was translated into Dutch in 2010. With it, Elalamy refers to the tens of thousands of sailors who, longing for a better life, have been swallowed by the waves in recent years. Twelve men and one (pregnant) woman drown while trying to cross the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain from a village in Morocco. Their disfigured bodies are found on the beach shortly after their escape attempt: like big fish, they are washed up near the village of Bnidar, where they are found by their families. Through the eyes of the relatives and the dead themselves, we learn about their lives and final hours, the hopelessness of their despair, their dreams and desires.

In a unique and compelling way, Elalamy tells the story of the refugees and those they left behind. Each chapter is a new miniature, written in I, he or you form; sentences with the rhythm of the waves of the sea:

I sing sing sing, because dying in music, I believe, is a little more living, and dying in music, I believe, is a little less dying. I sing in memory of my companions who have disappeared in the belly of the sea, in memory of those with whom she will soon feed, but also for my memory, because you must know, my love, my prince, that I have no strength left and no tears, only a thin voice to sing along. She is here and looks into my eyes.

Everywhere.

Poetic drama

Elalamy brings a sweeping major drama back to the human level; where we no longer see hostile aliens, but flesh-and-blood people who, like us and everyone else, would like to have a dignified existence. He manages to make poetic literature out of the despair, the grief that drives people to leave their country and family behind, and manages to give words to the grief of the bereaved, of those who are so 'lucky' to at least learn what fate has befallen their loved ones.

That's how great literature can be, by not only raising questions and making people think about what is going on in the world and how you relate to it as a reader, but even lending a certain beauty to the most horrible thing imaginable and thus giving meaning to a senseless death. The clandestines is a literary gem, moving and comforting at the same time.

The book snowballed miserably in the violence of the great literary titles. For all those who found a blue-black death, it is too late, but this book deserves a second life. Especially in these times, novels like this can help us look compassionately at the world around us and realise that we are all human.

Elvis Peeters, The elusive. Podium, €12.50.

Youssouf Amine Elalamy, The clandestines. Nijgh & Van Ditmar, €15.98.