New names for ILFU - ILFU takes place this year from September 23 to October 7. LITERARY

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The opening weekend of the International Literature Festival Utrecht includes a performance by Maggie Nelson, the NK Poetry Slam, the Utrecht Book Market, the start of the 1000-Dichtersmarathon and the inauguration of Babs Gons as Poet Laureate.

The following two weeks will see performances by Philippe Claudel, Jeanette Winterson, Amitav Gosh and David van Reybrouck, among others.

Two weeks later, the final word is to the poets at the 40th Night of Poetry. Judith Herzberg, Hans Dorrestijn, Joost Oomen and Anne Provoost are some of the new additions to the Night poster.

> See festival info and agenda

Maggie Nelson is coming to ILFU!

Saturday September 23 - TivoliVredenburg - 20:00

'One of today's most exciting writers,' Olivia Laing (a guest at ILFU last year) called Maggie Nelson. And she is not the only one who thinks so: ever since Nelson broke through with her novel The Argonauts, a book that turns existing ideas about identity and narrative on its head in both form and content, Nelson has been a household name among writers and readers alike.
She previously wrote the phenomenal collection Bluets, 240 poetic text fragments that can be read as Nelson's variations on the colour blue, an obsession contained in colourfully exploding thoughts and sentences. Recently published was About Freedom (all Nelson's work is translated by Nicolette Hoekmeijer), a collection of essays about our indestructible desire for freedom, and the impossible paradoxes this desire brings in frameworks such as art, sex, drugs and climate. We are honoured that Nelson is coming to celebrate her first visit to the Netherlands at ILFU, marking the opening of ILFU at September 23 usher! Maggie is interviewed by Niña Weijers and addressed by writer Fleur Pierets.

Master storyteller Philippe Claudel's new great novel

Monday 25 September - TivoliVredenburg - 20:00

"Dark as history and yet written with a light touch," is how Henk Pröpper described the collection of stories published two years ago German fantasy. "That says something about the awesome writing talent of Philippe Claudel." His new novel will be published in September Twilight, about a dormant village, the murder of a priest and an awakened policeman. That sounds like a rural detective, but in Claudel's hands, such a plot becomes a compelling narrative about good and evil, the depravity of humanity in general and the cruelties between neighbours in particular. Does it make sense to resist the unstoppable course of events? Philippe Claudel comes on 25 September For a Book Talk to ILFU.

Saturday 1 October - TivoliVredenburg - 13:00 - 21:30

Exploring Stories is a festival day with more than 20 writers that feels like a voyage of discovery. On different stages in TivoliVredenburg, you will hear conversations with authors, journalists and thinkers from all corners of the world who share with us their stories and thoughts about the world today. In the run-up to September 30 we are announcing more and more new names. One of them is Francine Oomen, the author of the series How to survive... which a whole generation of children grew up with. Especially for the children of those days, who as adults now belong to Generation Z or the millennials, Oomen wrote her latest How to survive, with all the challenges of the present time.
Amitav Gosh connect from India online for an interview with David van Reybrouck (live). Gosh charts the origins of the various crises currently facing us through the history of nutmeg. In his new book The Colonisation of the Future, Van Reybrouck worries about the short-sighted and ruthless way in which man appropriates the future. Philosopher Martha Claeys reflects on how we can relate to ourselves and others properly and wrote a book about it: Pride. The philosophy of an emotion. She explores the meaning of pride and shows that this emotion is particularly important in our turbulent times.

Already confirmed writers: Jeanette Winterson, David van Reybrouck, Kamila Shamsie, Trudy Duhue, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Daniel Schreiber, Nora Ikstena and Julie Meyerson.

New poets at 40th Night of Poetry

Saturday 7 October - TivoliVredenburg - 20:00 - 03:00

We have added new poets to the lineup! Judith Herzberg and Hans Dorrestijn, both already present at the first edition in 1980, will also be in attendance at the 40th. Joost Oomen, made famous to the general public by the programme De Slimste Mens, published his debut collection earlier this year Dear Poem.

Three Flemings then. Ruth Lasters was briefly part of the five official city poets of Antwerp before declaring herself independent city poets after a conflict with the city council. Her latest collection Tiger bread was published by Van Oorschot in March. The Flemish poet Jens Meijen was awarded the 2019 Buddingh' Prize for his collection of poetry Xenomorph and recently published his second: Sunset Industries. After a long career as a writer of many lauded novels, children's books and essays, he debuted Anne Provost recently as a poet with the collection Krop and will thus soon make her debut on The Night.

And finally, a so-called dark horse. Were you aware that there is a small but fanatical Joke van Caesbroeck fan club in the Netherlands, of which the poet Ingmar Heytze is simultaneously chairman, treasurer and secretary? (The fan club has two members). Joke van Caesbroeck did not know herself that she wrote poetry, but the "too-short stories" she publishes every Wednesday in De Standaard scrape suspiciously close to poetry. Her texts have been collected in the bibliophilic editions I am free but inedible and Inhuman, which so far have not found an eager audience. Let Jokes performance on The Night change that.

Earlier, the arrival of: Eva Gerlach, Bart Chabot, Jean Pierre Rawie, Mahat Arab and Alara Adilow, who received the C. Buddingh' Prize for her debut collection last month! The editors will soon be looking into the last poetry spots to be awarded at The Night. More soon!<September 23 until 7 October
Locations: including TivoliVredenburg, Vredenburgplein, Theater Kikker, Utrecht Library, Slachtstraat Filmtheater

Saturday 23 September NK Poetry Slam
Saturday 23 September Book Talk: Maggie Nelson
Sunday September 24 The Utrecht Book Market
Sunday, September 24 Start 1000 Poets marathon
Sunday, September 24 Inauguration Poet Laureate Babs Gons
Monday 25 September Book Talk: Philippe Claudel
Tuesday, 26 September NFF X ILFU: Book Club Jaap Robben: Summer Fleece
Thursday, September 28 Film: Tove Ditlevsen and panel discussion
Friday 29 September Book Club: Julie Myerson: Nonfiction
Saturday, September 30 Exploring Stories, festival day with more than 20 writers in 4 venues
Saturday, September 30 Presentation of C.C.S. Crone Stipendia
Sunday 1 October YALFU (Young Adult Festival Utrecht)
Tuesday 3 October Awater Translated
Tuesday 3 October Filter Translation Awards ceremony
Thursday 5 October Frog X ILFU: Who's Afraid of Oscar Wilde with aftertalk
Friday 6 October Children's Night of Poetry
Saturday 7 October Final 1000 Poets marathon
Saturday 7 October 40th Night of Poetry