Listen to the Book of My Life podcast, where writers share the book that has inspired or moved them—the book that has shaped their artistic, moral, or intellectual compass. In short, the book they recommend to everyone. This podcast is a re-publication of the live program, part of the annual Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague.
Benzokarim talked about The Forty Rules of Love by bestselling author Elif Shafak. Published in the Netherlands in 2022, the novel tells the story of Ella Rubinstein, a forty-year-old woman in an unhappy marriage who takes a job as a proofreader at a literary agency. Her first assignment, reading a manuscript about the mystical Sufi poet Rumi, sheds new light on Ella's own life and her understanding of love. Interview by Abdelkader Benali.
This podcast is released in the run-up to the annual Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague. Listen to the podcast here or via your favorite podcast platform.
In this first season of the Book of My Life podcast, we’re not only revisiting recent conversations but also diving into the archives. In celebration of 30 years of Writers Unlimited, we’ve selected several memorable episodes from the past—featuring both Book of My Life and Text of My Life—that have stayed with us over the years.
10 November 2026
In this Dutch spoken episode, Lize Spit talks about Oersoep by Bregje Hofstede, a 2023 book described as autofiction. Hofstede offers readers a lyrical reading experience that sometimes feels more like a trip than a novel.
29 October 2026
With Jeanette Winterson, Paul Murray, Maaza Mengiste, Claudia Rankine, Iraida Martha Ooft and more!
27 October 2026
In this Dutch spoken episode, Hanna Bervoets chose Giovanni's Room, the 1956 novel by James Baldwin.
