Dutch Children's Books 2025
Who we are
What's happening
First Dutch Authors Turin Book Fair Announced
The Netherlands will be Guest of Honour at the 37th edition of the Salone Internazionale del Libro Torino, the Turin International Book Fair. From May 15 to 19, the wealth of Dutch literature will be presented under the name Scoperta dell’Olanda (The discovery of the Netherlands).
In Memoriam: Mireille Berman
It was with great sadness and dismay that we learned of the death of our esteemed and beloved colleague Mireille Berman on March 3rd. For almost twenty years she worked with us through thick and thin, a dear friend, a dedicated supporter of writers and translators, a beloved presence with a great devotion to Dutch literature.
‘I admire how hard the Arabic publishing world works to get a book sold’
Last year Jaap Robben visited the Cairo Book Fair, the biggest book fair in the Arabic-speaking world, to promote his novel Summer Brother (Zomervacht). The trip was made possible by the Dutch Foundation for Literature’s Travel Costs scheme. What was it like for Jaap to meet his readers in Cairo? ‘It’s almost impossible to give an idea of the distances people travel to come to this book fair.’
Kristen Gehrman Wins Vondel Translation Prize 2024
The Vondel Translation Prize 2024 has been won by Kristen Gehrman for 'The History of My Sexuality' (Granta), her translation of the Dutch novel De geschiedenis van mijn seksualiteit by Tobi Lakmaker (Das Mag). According to the jury, ‘Kristen Gehrman brings Lakmaker’s bold narrative voice memorably to life with verve and irresistible comic timing.’ The Vondel Translation Prize is a triennial award of € 5.000 for the best English translation of a full-length Dutch-language work of literary merit and general interest. The prize will be awarded in London on 12 February 2025.
Translation Database
Best of Non-Fiction
The Healthcare Gap
Medicine has traditionally been based on the male body, with women as bycatch, but women are not just smaller men. In scientific research, female patients remain alarmingly underrepresented, and today there is still no equality between men and women as patients, despite growing proof of the differences. And female medical professionals themselves still need further emancipation in their roles.
On Another Planet They Can Save Me
In 2017, poet and novelist Lieke Marsman was diagnosed with a rare type of bone cancer. After enduring various rounds of chemo, she was told her illness was terminal. Still, she is continuing with treatment – radiotherapy, immunotherapy, operations. Living for years with death has changed Lieke’s worldview, and On Another Planet They Can Save Me is a poetic and philosophical exploration of the need to embrace the unknown.
Another Russia
Is Russia so unique that we can’t understand its people? Putin would like us to think so, and it’s why he has to defend against the ‘decadent West’. Meanwhile, our own stubborn myths about the enigmatic ‘Russian Soul’ only confirm his narrative. If we ever hope to see peace in Europe, renowned Russia-expert Sjeng Scheijen argues, we had better look at what we share. After all, one can’t win a war of ideas with bombs alone.
Lucy’s Daughters
While some see gender inequality as a natural phenomenon, the history of economics reveals a very different story. Jan Luiten van Zanden’s research focuses on the complex interplay between the social status of women and economic development. In this panoramic work, he examines the historical roots of gender inequality throughout Eurasia, and its socio-economic consequences today.