There I stood. Next to THE RED LOPER. In THE PRESS box. Everything you must have done once in your life and this was MY MOMENT. THE BOOKBALL at THE CITY BURY which was renamed ITA because of the boss' career. To my left TEAM VOLKSKRANT, to my right a cute KRULLENBOL from the LINDA and in between a journalist whose name I still can't come up with now. He dared. Asking questions from this position, to people passing by in their position.
I don't.
I stood frozen with my phone in my hands streaming things live on Twitter. I didn't get much further. Had questions prepared. Something about mothers, and heard those questions being asked left and right next to me, and got, en passant, the answers I would have gotten too, had I dared to ask the questions. And which had already been given at least ten times by THE KNOWN on the red carpet to the many colleagues behind the fence in the press box.
Freek
The BOEKENBAL is the biggest writers' party in the Netherlands, just slightly above the NEW YEARS BORREL of AUTEURSRECHTENWAAKHOND Lira in importance. That is because the Book Ball also attracts RECOGNISED NETHERLANDS, POLITICIANS AND PUBLISHERS, as well as other people who are important in raising the profile of the book trade. Like FREEK DE JONGE, who deliberately arrived late on the red carpet already announcing that he would not keep quiet about THIERRY BAUDET.
But it's still a bit weird, this deliberately created Joop van den Ende/OSCAR NIGHT atmosphere. Writing in the Netherlands is not that glamorous. Most writers, apart from JAN SIEBELINK AND CONNIE PALMEN, are not so keen on limelight and photographers. If one thing became clear, during my debut alongside the RODE LOPER, it was that the number of people who crossed this runner as if it were a bucket of glowing coals from a runaway WELNESSGOEROE was by far the majority.
Toilet
Could also be that I was looking for recognition, because I panic from celebrity as much as the average person. And then I like to see that others have too. So lots of embarrassment, even more discomfort. And lots of security, which made your already slightly CLAUSTROFOBIC REPORTER a little scared when he was not allowed out of the press box for toilet visits. Of course, things had been moved inside for security reasons, and the secret guest, MICHEL HOUELLEBECQ, is possibly a TERREURMAGNEET, but it felt awkward.
The CPNB is doing its utmost to give the Book Ball allure, after it had languished a few years ago into a rancid party attended only by the press and third-rate authors. Now great writers are celebrated again, though Famous Dutchmen with good GHOSTWRITERS still steal the show.
'Shouldn't you be in Utrecht, at the silent march?' asked Radio 1 reporter Jeroen Wielaert to me, on my way to the venue, where he had, and I did not have, the right wristband.
The videos
We are on the red carpet at the #book ball https://t.co/ciWekMNcyE
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) March 22, 2019
Still on the #rodeloper at #book ball https://t.co/hfa6EibOBN
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) March 22, 2019
#book ball #rodeloper sequel. https://t.co/0UNc1BbyXM
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) March 22, 2019
Even more mother the women and men on #rodeloper #book ball https://t.co/LhszbmnUno
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) March 22, 2019
Everyone wants Conny Palmen to be their mother. #rodeloper #book ball https://t.co/w0PNnvIC5s
- Cultural Press Agency (@culturalpress) March 22, 2019
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