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LITERARY

Everything to do with letters

Olivia Colman, Olga Zuiderhoek and Anna Bonaiuto read Elena Ferrante's Belle van Zuylen lecture - Opening night literary festival ILFU dedicated to women's freedom

The Belle van Zuylen lecture at this year's ILFU literature festival will be written by Italian success author Elena Ferrante and spoken in three languages by Anna Bonaiuto, Olivia Colman and Olga Zuiderhoek. Ferrante herself never appears in public and has kept her true identity a secret for 30 years. Her lecture is titled "A tangle of written words" and promises to follow on from... 

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Writer Domenico Starnone on his fascination with human relationships: 'We feel fear of the other, because it always remains "the other".'

Secrets is the title of Italian writer Domenico Starnone's (78) latest novel. But actually, as far as he is concerned, the secret is not what the story is about. 'It's about the fear we feel for the other, because the other always remains, under whatever circumstances, the ánder.' Human behaviour Domenico Starnone's finely crafted, concise novels... 

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In the grip of mental illness. Jan van Mersbergen wrote a novel about the demise of his family

Als een van beide ouders niet stevig op z’n benen staat, hoe beïnvloedt dat dan een heel gezin? Daarover gaat Een goede moeder, de nieuwe roman van Jan van Mersbergen (50). Het verhaal is gebaseerd op de afgelopen jaren van zijn eigen leven. ‘Het moest geen afrekening worden.’ Avonturenroman Twee jaar geleden zei hij dat hij op zijn vijftigste, als… 

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Meesterprijs voor thrillerauteur René Appel

Thrillerauteur René Appel ontvangt zaterdag 18 september de Meesterprijs uit handen van het bestuur van de Misdaadauteurs van de Auteursbond. Appel is de vierde winnaar van deze prijs voor auteurs die een belangrijke bijdrage hebben geleverd aan de ontwikkeling van het thrillergenre in het Nederlands taalgebied. Appie Baantjer (2003), Saskia Noort (2013) en Tomas Ross (2018) gingen hem voor. Hoge… 

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Literary festival ILFU adds new festival day on hot topics of our time 

O.a. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Lale Gül, Roberto Saviano en Alfred Birney maken hun opwachting in Utrecht Op zaterdag 25 september vindt de eerste editie van Exploring Stories plaats: een speciale festivaldag op het ILFU gewijd aan de ‘hete hangijzers’ oftewel actuele thema’s van onze tijd. Op Exploring Stories staan onderwerpen als klimaat, ongelijkheid, oud en nieuw kolonialisme, feminisme en de… 

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Elena Ferrante gives Belle van Zuylen lecture at ILFU - Italian bestselling author receives Belle van Zuylen ring from Utrecht municipality

On Thursday 23 September, Italian writer Elena Ferrante will deliver the thirteenth Belle van Zuylen lecture at the ILFU International Literature Festival Utrecht. She will also receive the Belle van Zuylenring, an international honorary award of the ILFU in cooperation with the municipality of Utrecht. Elena Ferrante is the author of, among others, the four-volume bestseller De geniale vriendin (Edizione e/o; Wereldbibliotheek). Unique event... 

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Writer Henk Pröpper's slow heartbeat

Writer and publicist Henk Pröpper had only just moved to his beloved Paris when the city came to a standstill, and so did his heart almost. Once fitted with a pacemaker, he took to the city in the one hour a day Parisians were allowed. A new world opened up for him. For Henk Pröpper (62), former director... 

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Pull free short stories by well-known authors from the vending machine- ILFU Storytelling Machine makes summer tour of Utrecht

This summer, the Netherlands' first Verhalenmachine (Storytelling Machine) will again tour Utrecht hotspots. From the ILFU Verhalenmachine you don't pull out a croquette or a can of soda, but one of hundreds of free short stories. In the coming weeks, the Verhalenmachine will tour busy Utrecht locations, such as the Neude Library, the Uitalage on Steenweg and TivoliVredenburg. This tour is... 

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The 'weird life' of all-rounder Jef Last is not over

Better to die standing than to live kneeling. The statement is fresh in memory after the murder in the Lange Leidse Dwarsstraat, as a mantra in praise of Peter R de Vries, his fearlessness, non-conformism, straightforwardness and honesty. This same statement jumps out even from the first paragraphs of the introduction to the biography of poet Jef Last, written by Rudi Wester.1.... 

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Utrecht literature festival ILFU opens ticket sales for festival week in late September, With Roxane Gay, Angie Thomas, Édouard Louis and Max Porter among others

Despite persistent corona uncertainty in the cultural sector, International Literature Festival Utrecht (ILFU) today announces a large part of its programme. The largest literary festival in the Netherlands will take place from 23 September to 2 October 2021 and will programme a host of international writers, poets, musicians and theatre-makers in TivoliVredenburg. On 25 September, the festival theme #WhyFictionMatters will include the French... 

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A dangerously hurt little bird. Writer Caroline De Mulder delved into the world of girl gangs and sugardating

Girl gangs and sugar dating - these are the themes of Bambi likes you raw. Caroline De Mulder (44) wanted to talk about the violence of women rather than against women. 'I could work out the dark, aggressive sides in myself without bashing someone's head in.' Bambi's protagonist, 16-year-old Hilda, or Bambi, as her... 

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Literary festival ILFU launches storytelling competition for all forms of storytelling - From prose to film, music to TikTok videos

ILFU (International Literary Festival Utrecht) is launching a national storytelling competition for the second time - in which stories in all possible forms are welcome. The ILFU Verhalenwedstrijd is the first interdisciplinary story contest in the Netherlands, organised on the belief that good stories can and should be told in all conceivable forms. The theme of this year's contest is What matters... 

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Presenter Harm Edens wrote a book about his childhood: 'I always felt like an outsider'

He is known as a writer of comedy series, such as SamSam and Het zonnetje in huis, and as presenter of the satirical TV programme Dit was het nieuws. But during Harm Edens' (59) youth, there was little to laugh at. 'Even though the whole country claps for you, if your parents don't, it's still a loss.' The 'intelligent lockdown' was last... 

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'New venom is added every day.' In book, presenter Naeeda Aurangzeb allows non-white Dutch people to experience what comes over them every day

Even though she has lived in the Netherlands since she was three, journalist and radio TV presenter Naeeda Aurangzeb (47) is still not considered a full-fledged compatriot. In her book 365 dagen Nederlander, she gives a disconcerting picture in short sketches of how non-white Dutch people or Dutch people with a migration background are treated. Biology teacher to class 'This is what you call olive-coloured skin. You can... 

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'Silence has made me sicker.' Kathelijn Hulshof aims to break the taboo on mental illness with her book

A peek into her stormy inner self - that is what Kathelijn Hulshof (32) wants to give with her book Gevalletje borderline. We should dare to talk to each other about mental illness, she thinks. 'Then the burden becomes less heavy and lonely.' Hurricanes inside me 'No, you can't have borderline, people told me. I had completed an education, I had... 

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Charlotte Köhler Translation Prize for Lisa Thunnissen

The Charlotte Köhler Stipend 2021, an incentive grant for literary talent, was awarded to translator Lisa Thunnissen on Wednesday 16 June. In the Van Deysselhuis, she received a certificate and cheque worth €5,000. Lisa Thunnissen receives the stipend for her translations of the work of South American authors such as Eduardo Halfon, Aura Xilonen and Raúl Zurita. The jury,... 

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Antonio Scurati wrote novel about Mussolini: 'Of my readers, 99 per cent consider the book to be anti-fascist. The other 1 per cent were already fascist and recognise themselves in it.'

Formation of the Fasci di combattimento (the Black Shirts) Milan, Piazza San Sepolcro, 23 March 1919 We look out on Piazza San Sepolcro. Barely a hundred people. All men who don't count. We are few and we are dead. They are waiting for me to speak, but I have nothing to say. The stage is empty, awash with eleven million corpses,... 

Read More "Antonio Scurati wrote novel about Mussolini: 'Of my readers, 99 per cent consider the book to be anti-fascist. The other 1 per cent were already fascist and recognise themselves in it.'
Bazart on Night of Poetry

The 38th Night of Poetry continues.

The Night is back! Last year, unfortunately, we had to skip because of untidy corona developments, but this year the 38th edition of the illustrious Night will still take place. For now, still in a modified form, as there is no green light to sit in a full house again on 2 October at the moment. During this 'limited edition' in... 

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Everyone is welcome to the poems of Babs Gons

The busiest year ever in the career of word artist Babs Gons (49) gets its crowning moment with the publication of her first book of poetry, Do it anyway. A debut that, for Gons herself, feels more like a farewell than a beginning. 'For a performer like me, paper as a form is very definitive.' Erosion and sprawl Do it anyway is called 

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How writer Maartje Wortel was confronted with herself: 'I was literally and figuratively running the same laps over and over again.'

For five years, writers Maartje Wortel and Niña Weijers walked endless laps through the Oosterpark every day. When that suddenly came to an end, Wortel was suddenly confronted with herself in a big way. 'I didn't feel I had anything to hold on to anymore'. Cheerfully waving, Maartje Wortel (38) approaches, a full bag of groceries in hand. 'Not handy no, for a walking interview,' observes... 

Read More "How writer Maartje Wortel was confronted with herself: 'I was literally and figuratively running the same laps over and over again.'

Maartje Wortel lives through the Oosterpark

'The book is a declaration of love to Niña, I dedicated it to her unborn child.' Writer Maartje Wortel (38) lived right by Amsterdam's Oosterpark until recently. Her friend and fellow writer Niña Weijers lived on the other side. For five years, they walked laps of the park together, sometimes several times a day. In The Groove, Carrot tells about... 

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'Writing has been my salvation.' The troubled life story of Vamba Sherif

Actually, all his female characters are based on his powerful mother and grandmother, says Vamba Sherif (47). In his new, autobiographical book Unprecedented Love, the Liberian-born writer tells his troubled life story to his daughter Bendu. An ode to his homeland and the most important women in his life. I was born into a learned and influential family. The Sherifs... 

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'I can finally have real fun again.' How "devil child" Angélique (51) survived 25 years of abuse and mistreatment

A devil child she was called, and that is how her parents treated her. Angélique van Deursen (51) was mistreated and abused for 25 years. It marked her for life, but did not completely destroy her. Even though it would have been close. Two fathers As a child, I felt I had two fathers. During the day, my father was an angry man, who... 

Read More "'I can finally have real fun again.' How "devil child" Angélique (51) survived 25 years of abuse and mistreatment

Rarely have I experienced a historical book that is so accessible and so imaginative

With journalist Bianca Stigter's book Atlas of an occupied city, you walk through today's reality, as it were, with historical virtual reality glasses on. An extra layer appears over the familiar backdrop of Amsterdam's streets: of World War II occupation. What wartime past is hidden in the streets and behind the facades? Atlas... 

Read More "Rarely have I experienced a historical book that is so accessible and so imaginative

New stage for Dutch thriller at Utrecht Library

Under the title 'The Dutch thriller awards 2021', the four most important thriller awards (Gouden Strop, Hebban Thrillerprijs, Schaduwprijs and Zilveren Strop) will be presented from the Utrecht Library on Saturday 5 June. The ceremony will mark the start of 'The Week of the Exciting Book', which begins on Monday 7 June. With 'The Dutch thriller awards 2021', the Utrecht Library, readers' platform Hebban.nl and the... 

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