Maxim February and Pete Wu new editors-in-chief of ILFU.com

Writers Pete Wu and Maxim February will each be guest editor-in-chief of two months from April ilfu.com, the online platform of literature festival ILFU. During their chief editorship, they will contribute pieces themselves, highlighting themes and authors they find of interest. The daily literary contributions on the platform are open to everyone free of charge. ILFU Members make the stories possible with their financial contribution.

In April and May, journalist and author Pete Wu run the digital platform. Wu wrote the book The banana generation (2019) and made the documentary series Pete and the bananas, both about growing up between two worlds as a Chinese-Dutch gay man (or, as his mother said: a banana - yellow on the outside and white on the inside). Wu's debut novel is expected from publisher Das Mag by the end of this year. 

Pete Wu says himself: 'With my guest editor position, I want to introduce new talents from other disciplines to a larger reading audience, such as theatre and journalism, in addition to well-known names. Of course, I hope to be inspired by these creators myself; I look forward to reading their work.'

In June, Wu will be succeeded by writer, lawyer and philosopher Maxim February. Until 2022, February wrote weekly columns in NRC, these days he makes contributions to Vrij Nederland. In 2023, his most recent book was published Act normal yourself.

Gijs Wilbrink, the regular editor-in-chief of ILFU.com, will focus these months on writing a new novel, the follow-up to his successful debut The animals (2022). He will then return as editor-in-chief of the platform.

About ILFU

ILFU is an annual festival and a daily online platform for literature. For the festival, we bring the world's best writers to Utrecht; on the platform, we publish commissioned work by a variety of writers. Last year, we published fiction stories and essays by Ali Smith, Abdelkader Benali, Lisa Weeda, Clarice Gargard and many others.

ILFU's mission is to show that literature matters. In times when there are complaints that people are reading less, the number of library members is drastically decreasing and bookshops are closing, ILFU wants to make a counter voice heard. A lot of great things are being written, more people visit our festival and platform every year: literature is alive and well and, moreover, important for a healthy society.

People who share our mission can become ILFU Members. ILFU Members fight for the power of fiction as an important complement to facts to understand the world. Thanks to a contribution of €4.50 per month, our current and future authors write new, urgent stories. Of course, Members also have an edge: they get 20% discount on all festival tickets, 5% discount on our course offerings and via 'My ILFU' Members can exclusively watch all (live) streams.