Dutch Non-Fiction
This page of New Dutch Non-Fiction presents a selection of books recently published in the Netherlands, books that have been included for their artistic and commercial success.
Our aim is to showcase the best non-fiction from the Netherlands. Most titles will have been published recently and will have done very well in terms of reviews, sales and awards or nominations. Dutch Non-Fiction is distributed to international editors and publishers.
We highly recommend the titles on this page, and would be happy to give further advice on noteworthy and interesting books for your publishing list. For more information please contact acting non-fiction specialist, Leonoor Broeder.
Dutch Non Fiction Spring 2024
A History of the World in Twelve Beans
Beans have never been sexy. Throughout history, they’ve always been seen as a poor person’s alternative to meat. And yet beans, apart from being incredibly nutritious and good for soil, have played a fundamental role in the human story. Culinary journalist Joël Broekaert brings us a playful world history, as told through twelve beans – or rather, ten plus two which we often consider beans but aren’t really: coffee and cacao.
Apocalypsophy
For many years we’ve known about our collective effect on the planet and its consequences. Still, many pretend nothing is wrong. We would rather dream of carbon offsetting, circular economies, ‘green growth’ – of a world where everything can be cleaned, recycled or resolved with magical technology. Anything to stop us from making real change. In 'Apocalypsophy', Lisa Doeland confronts us with our various ‘green dreams’.
Truth be Sold — On Truth in the 21st Century and Beyond
Anyone who reads the news and follows the discussions on social media can hardly help but conclude that nowadays we only believe in our own truth. The result: a society without solidarity and a declining trust in politics and media. In this book, philosopher Rob Wijnberg brings a powerful corrective to the information war of our time and shows us that truth is still alive and well.
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A Tablecloth for Hitler
Growing up in a German-Dutch family, historian Bas von Benda-Beckmann developed a particular interest in the Second World War. His grandmother’s sister had been married to Hitler’s most trusted general Alfred Jodl, who was hanged for war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials. Another sister, meanwhile, had turned away from Nazism when she fell in love with a half-Jewish doctor, and personally knew those involved in Hitler’s failed assassination attempt in 1944.
Penguins and People
A labour of love from journalist Marcel Haenen, 'Penguins and People' takes the reader on a gripping expedition into the very fabric of the penguin’s existence. He examines our relationship with the bird, from early encounters with navigators to captive penguins as crowd-pullers at zoos, from silver screen stardom ('Happy Feet', 'March of the Penguins') to penguin tourism and its current protected status.
Focus — The ASML Way
For decades the most valuable company in Europe operated in the shadows. The chips manufactured by its machines, power our smartphones and AI assistants, make our coffee and drive our cars and even guide cruise missiles. In fact, roughly 90% of all chips worldwide are made by ASML. In recent years however, the Dutch manufacturing company has found itself in the spotlight, at the centre of a geopolitical storm between the United States, China and Europe.
A Real Parent — On Queer Parenthood
Who or what is ‘family’? Who gets to be a parent? And what happens when a family deviates from the standard heterosexual norm? These questions are central to the essay collection 'A Real Parent: On Queer Parenthood' by Eke Krijnen.
Under a Different Sky
From a young age, philosopher and writer Joke H. Hermsen has wrestled with the longing to be elsewhere – a kind of ‘farsickness’, from the German 'fernweh', which has gone paired with never quite feeling at home. When, during the pandemic, the feeling rises to a crescendo in her own house, she packs her bags. But everywhere she goes – from France to the Netherlands to Germany – memories wash over her.
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Pain — An Expedition Into Uncharted Territory
Pain causes a lot of suffering and comes with a huge price tag, yet it remains under-reported. Words often fail us. We try to measure it on a scale of 1 to 10, but have no idea what those numbers mean. Can we ever know what someone else’s pain feels like?
Helenka — A Pioneer Among Scientists and Freedom Fighters
When Anna van Suchtelen sees a picture of her grandmother Helena (Helenka) Drecke seated in a laboratory, it piques her curiosity and launches her on a quest. Helenka is wearing a dress, looking defiantly into the camera, and there is a sign behind her that reads ‘Danger: 4000 volts’.
Reflection Time
At the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, just as the world went into lockdown, Meredith Greer realized she was pregnant but couldn’t keep the baby. The experience of waiting for, undergoing, and recovering from an abortion was isolated and isolating, encapsulated as it was in a larger, collective act of waiting.
Headstrong
Brankele Frank thought she could do it all. Combining a career as a neurobiologist with a job as a strategic consultant for McKinsey? Writing for newspapers and magazines? No problem, there was still enough time for a triathlon. But when her life comes to a screeching halt her first concern is recovery. After a while, Frank begins to search for answers.
