21 January: The Hague Literary Prizes Ceremony in Koninklijke Schouwburg

The Hague Literature Prizes will be presented on Sunday afternoon 21 January at the Koninklijke Schouwburg. Beforehand, prominent writers and artists will perform an Ode to Remco Campert. Buy tickets now!
The prestigious Haagse Literatuurprijzen (The Hague Literary Prizes) have been awarded to Anjet Daanje, Tomas Lieske, Rozalie Hirs and Tjibbe Veldkamp! The festive award ceremony on Sunday afternoon 21 January 2024 (start 14:30) in the Koninklijke Schouwburg in The Hague will be preceded by a one-off and unique Ode to Remco Campert with literary and musical performances by Kees van Kooten, Ramsey Nasr, Alma Mathijsen, Mirjam van Hengel, Ronelda Kamfer, Ellen ten Damme, Benjamin Herman Quartet and Corrie van Binsbergen. Note that performances and readings will be Dutch-spoken.
The Constantijn Huygens Prize 2023, the annual prize for a literary oeuvre, has been awarded to Anjet Daanje who debuted in 1993 with the novel Pianomuziek in de regen (Piano music in the rain). After that, she built a literary universe that is unparalleled in terms of span and narrative drive. The jury is impressed by the overwhelming power of this self-willed oeuvre.
Daanje's oeuvre consists of novels, screenplays, novellas and a collection of translated and own poems. De herinnerde soldaat (The Remembered Soldier, F. Bordewijk Prize 2020) marked her breakthrough to a wider audience. With Het lied van ooievaar en dromedaris (The Song of Stork and Dromedary, Boekenbon Literature Prize 2022; Libris Literature Prize 2023), she pushed the boundaries of the historical novel. Her books show the power of the imagination and are close to the skin of our times.
Tomas Lieske receives the F. Bordewijk Prize for Niets dat hier hemelt (Nothing heavenly here). The jury describes this novel as a fascinating highlight of Lieske's rich oeuvre. The experiences of a boy in the peatlands during the 1930s are evoked in a way that is as oppressive as it is enchanting. With his classic storytelling, Lieske pushes the boundaries of our imagination.
Rozalie Hirs receives the Jan Campert Prize for poetry in January for her poetry collection Ecologica. According to the jury, in this collection of poems Hirs seems to give poetry a new assignment: to give language back to nature, which is threatened with destruction. In doing so, she wants the reader to listen to a multitude of voices and a multitude of sounds, which overwhelm and also offer comfort.
Tjibbe Veldkamp was awarded the Nienke van Hichtum Prize for children's literature for De jongen die van de wereld hield (The Boy Who Loved the World). In this magical-realist tale, a classic romantic theme is worked out in a surprisingly original way. The jury finds it a magisterial story in poetically clear language. A story that sheds light on the beautiful sides of life. A story that warms in cold days. A story to fall in love with; the warmest book for winter.
Ode to Remco Campert & Presentation of The Hague Literature Prizes is organised by Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague and the Literatuurmuseum in cooperation with publisher De Bezige Bij and Dutch national newspaper de Volkskrant. The programme is compiled by Jet Steinz and will be hosted by Mirjam van Hengel.