Ministers of the Rutte IV cabinet will be given a list of novels that will be helpful in performing their duties. The list will be compiled by readers of the new online literature platform ilfu.com and a 'literary shadow cabinet' of writers each writing an open letter to the ministers. The letter writers include Philip Huff, Manon Uphoff, Özcan Akyol, Ester Naomi Perquin and Abdelkader Benali. The kick-off of the literary cabinet took place last night on the radio programme Looking forward to tomorrow. Writers' letters will be published weekly on ilfu.com over the next few months. On Budget Day, the complete list will be presented to ministers.
The preparation of the reading list follows the presentation of the Basic Skills Master Plan that Minister Wiersma sent to the Lower House on 12 May. In it, much attention is (again) given to reading promotion in primary education. The ILFU wants to draw attention to the importance of literary fiction and then not just for primary education, but for all of society, including and primarily for members of the cabinet.
ILFU director Michaël Stoker: "In literary fiction, you can do something that is much more difficult in journalism and other art forms: put yourself in someone else's head. You can experience the world with the gaze of someone you are not. We think that function of literature is crucial for the functioning of a democratic society. I don't get the impression that our ministers often can or want to take the time to read a novel. We are now going to encourage them to do so."
ILFU launched a new online platform in April under the slogan 'The fiction to the facts'. Stories, poems, essays, poetry films and reading lists will appear daily on ilfu.com to help you understand the world better. Letters from the 'literary shadow cabinet' will be published weekly on ilfu.com. Members of the platform can also leave their own reading tips for ministers. The letters and members' reading tips will be presented to the ministers on Budget Day, 20 September 2022.
The first letter, addressed to foreign minister Wopke Hoekstra,was written by Philip Huff. He advises the minister that the novel Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday to read. 'The novel is set on multiple continents and touches on a lot: sexism, student debt, success, racism, intolerance, bigotry, inhumane immigration laws, the terror of "'counter-terrorism'" - in short, on the asymmetry of power relations - and, yes, love and death. The book, should you think you need it, can also be seen as a crash course, "From Wopke to Woke Hoekstra'.'
Read the letter here
Philip Huff and Manon Uphoff were guests last night on the programme Looking forward to tomorrow to talk about the project.
Listen to the broadcast here (from 27:06)
The following letters will be published on ilfu.com in the coming weeks:
- Manon Uphoff: Hugo de Jonge, minister for housing
- Auke Hulst: Ernst Kuipers, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport
- Sholeh Rezazadeh: Henk Staghouwer, minister of agriculture, nature and food quality
- Özcan Akyol: Dennis Wiersma, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education
- Emy Koopman: Rob Jetten, minister for climate and energy
- Alexis de Roode: Christianne van der Wal, Minister of Nature and Nitrogen
- Thomas van Aalten: Robbert Dijkgraaf, Minister of Education, Culture and Science
- Jamal Ouariachi: Micky Adriaansens, minister of economic affairs
- Christine Otten: Carola Schouten, minister for poverty policy, participation and pensions
- Gustaaf Peek: Sigrid Kaag, finance minister
- Ester Naomi Perquin: Franc Weerwind, minister for legal protection
- Alfred Schaffer: Liesje Schreinemacher, minister for foreign trade and development cooperation
- Philip Huff: Wopke Hoekstra, minister of foreign affairs
- Abdelkader Benali: Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, Minister of Justice and Security
- Maarten van der Graaff: Karien van Gennip, minister for social affairs and employment
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