In Memoriam: Mireille Berman

Mireille Berman (b. 1964) grew up in the north of the Netherlands and ended up in the book trade after studying history. At first she did freelance editing work for literary publishers and was the editor-in-chief of the history magazine Skript. From 1995 to 1998, she worked as a research assistant at the National Institute for War Documentation. She then worked for a year for the publishing company Schuyt & Co, followed by two years at Wereldbibliotheek / Van Gennep. From 2001 to 2005, she was non-fiction editor at De Bezige Bij, where she was responsible for many Dutch and international authors.

In 2005, she was hired as a policy officer at the Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature, which merged with the Dutch Foundation for Literature in 2011. This position involved supporting and organizing meetings and events for Dutch writers, outside of the Netherlands. From 2013 onwards, she took on the role of non-fiction specialist, and worked on the distribution, translation and promotion of Dutch literary non-fiction authors abroad. She maintained close contact with writers, translators of Dutch literature and foreign publishers, and with the organizers of festivals and literary events around the world. She travelled to international book fairs to promote Dutch literature. This is a job that requires not only knowledge of the subject matter, decisiveness, social and organizational skills, but also tact, diplomacy, kindness and humour. Mireille had a talent for all of these things, and she was a much-loved presence in the international book trade, with a network that extended far beyond our borders.

In March 2024, the Netherlands and Flanders were joint guests of honour of the Leipzig Book Fair, under the campaign title: Alles außer flach (‘Anything but flat’). More than forty authors, each presenting a new translation into German, visited Germany – attending the fair itself, but also many festivals throughout the year. Mireille was the coordinator of this large-scale and successful campaign on behalf of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, and it was the crowning glory of her work. In this role, she was able to include in the programme themes that were close to her heart: the climate crisis, the colonial past, migration and flight, gender issues and war. As colleagues, we greatly admired the way she kept everything under control. She never shied away from rolling up her sleeves when necessary. The same day that Mireille briefed German President Walter Steinmeier on Dutch literature in German at a packed stand, she also cleaned up with a bucket and mop afterwards.

Last spring, the illness she had recovered from five years earlier returned. When it became clear that recovery was not on the cards and work here was too much for her, she started doing two days a week at the Athenaeum bookstore in Amsterdam. She continued to visit the Dutch Foundation for Literature regularly, where she introduced a new tradition: a poem reading at our weekly meeting. Mireille looked so good and was in such fine spirits it seemed surreal that she didn't have long to live.

We are going to miss her terribly and wish her family much strength and fortitude to bear this great loss.