International Literature Festival The Hague

Winternachten 2015

Thu 15 January - Sun 18 January 2015

The best international literary festival in the Netherlands celebrates its 20th anniversary! From Thursday 15 January to Sunday 18 January we will celebrate with a full and festive programme in Theater aan het Spui and
Filmhuis Den Haag. Ticket sales have begun.

The 20th edition of the Writers Unlimited Winternachten Festival will feature appearances by writers from around the world, in more than sixty programmes. These include Karen Armstrong (UK) and Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopia), "our" Adriaan van Dis and Israel's David Grossmann, Surinamese "grand lady" Cynthia McLeod and young Dutch writer Niña Weijers. The theme of this 20th anniversary is "At Home" in the broadest sense of the word, ranging from the space we share with loved ones and relatives to being part of a community or a country. There will be screenings of films chosen by the authors, books for sale, author signings, and music by (among others) Cristina Branco and the Pauni Trio. Prizes will be awarded, new talents will perform, authors will tell you which texts of world literature have touched them most deeply. And of course there will be food and drink.

There are both English and Dutch programmes.

Programme is subject to change.

Retrospect

Thursday 15 January 2015

20:00 - 21:45

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

Opening Night: Free the Word!

A special opening night featuring a keynote speech by Karl Ove Knausgård, the Oxfam Novib PEN Awards for Freedom of Expression, a debate moderated by Petra Stienen, and concluding words by David Van …

Friday 16 January 2015

20:00 - 01:00

Theater aan het Spui & Filmhuis Den Haag

FRIDAY NIGHT UNLIMITED

The varied Friday night programme on 16 January (together with the Saturday night programme) forms the heart of the festival, with dozens of events on five stages. Writers, poets and audience …

Saturday 17 January 2015

11:00 - 14:00

Theater aan het Spui - foyer

Indonesian Winter Kumpulan

A convivial gathering where you can sample Indonesian delicacies while listening to talk of Indonesian literature. A special programme to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the festival, which was …

14:00 - 16:00

Institute of Social Studies

World Storytelling at the ISS

There's nothing better than telling one another stories. Stories from near and far by students of the International Institute of Social Studies, by foreign writes, and by the public. The theme of …

14:00 - 16:00

Theater en Filmhuis Dakota

World Stories at Theater Dakota

There's nothing better than telling one another stories. Stories from near and far, by Hague Highschool students, by participants in the Dakota Theatre's story contest, by the public, and by writers. …

14:30 - 15:45

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 2

Wim Brands Reading Club: Falling Out of Time, by David Grossman

Wim Brands, maker and host of the VPRO Boeken ( Books ) programme on radio and television, discusses festival guest David Grossman's novel Falling Out of time (2012) with the audience. But first, …

14:30 - 15:45

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

NRC Reading Club Live: Familieziek (Repatriated), by Adriaan van Dis

An honoured festival tradition: the NRC Reading Club Live. The panel, made up of editors Elsbeth Etty, Bas Heijne and writer Gustaaf Peek, discusses Adriaan van Dis' novel Familieziek ( Repatriated …

16:15 - 17:30

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 2

A Conversation with David Grossman

A conversation between Israeli writer David Grossman and interviewer Lex Bohlmeijer. This famous author writes children's books, novels, and essays. He considers it his task to make understandable …

16:15 - 17:30

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

A Conversation with Adriaan van Dis

A one-on-one conversation with much-loved writer Adriaan van Dis. The subject matter includes his new novel Ik kom terug ( I'm Coming Back ). Historian and TV host Hans Goedkoop leads the …

20:00 - 01:00

Theater aan het Spui & Filmhuis Den Haag

SATURDAY NIGHT UNLIMITED

The varied Saturday night programme on 17 January (together with the Friday night programme) forms the heart of the festival, with dozens of events on five stages. Writers, poets and audience …

Sunday 18 January 2015

10:00 - 12:00

Theater aan het Spui - foyer

VPRO's OVT Live

One of the most popular programmes on Radio 1 is VPRO's OVT (Simple Past Tense). Every Sunday the contemporary relevance of history takes centre stage. It has become a tradition for OVT's radio …

14:00 - 16:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

The Writers' Fest

Francis Broekhuijsen hosts the festival's concluding celebration: the Writers' Fest, a varied programme centred around Dutch literature. Poet Maria Barnas begins the afternoon with an ode to …

16:00 - 19:00

Theater De Vaillant

Tutuba - A Meet & Greet with Cynthia McLeod

An Afro-Surinamese afternoon at the Vaillant Theatre in the heart of The Hague's Schilderswijk neighbourhood. Writer Cynthia McLeod takes you into the history of Suriname and the Netherlands, to the …