Anne Vegter
(Delfzijl, NL, 1958) studied at the Akademie voor Expressie in Utrecht. With illustrator Geerten ten Bosch she created the children's book De dame en de neushoorn (The Lady and the Rhino, 1989), followed by her second children's book Verse Bekken! (Fresh Snouts) and poetic debut Het veerde (Something Bounced). She has also written prose, such as Ongekuiste versies (Unclear Versions) and Harrie's hoofdingang (Harrie's Main Entrance), and plays such as Struisvogels op de Coolsingel (Ostriches on the Coolsingel, 2005). She received the Anna Blaman Prize for her oeuvre. Vegter also published poetry: Aandelen en obligaties (Shares and Bonds, 2002) and Spamfighter (2007). From 2013 to 2017 she was the Dutch Poet Laureate; the work she created during that time is collected in Wat helpt is een wonder (What Helps is a Miracle, 2017). In spring of the same year, she published the joint poetry collection Ik hier jij daar (Me Here You There) with the Palestinian-Syrian poet Ghayath Almadhoun.
(2017)Archive available for: Anne Vegter
-
Poems from the Berber Library
Poets Dean Bowen, Anne Vegter and Joost Baars recited Berber poetry on the occasion of the completion of the Berber Library. This is a collection of works by the most important authors of Berber heritage. At the initiative of writer Asis Aynan and translator Hester Tollenaar, ten books have been published in Dutch translation. And as a finale, the volume Vallende Tijd (Falling Time) brought together work of the four greatest Rif poets: Mohammed Chacha, Ahmed Ziani, Fadma el Ouariachi and Mimoun el Walid. Their poetry celebrates love, detests migration and screams for emancipation.
-
Distance and Nearness - Poetry in a Time of War
In spring 2017 the joint poetry collection Me Here You There by Palestinian-Syrian poet Ghayath Almadhoun and the former Poet of the Fatherland Anne Vegter was published. For Writers Unlimited, they have collaborated with two exceptional musical talents: the Hague-Syrian-Palestinian oud-player and music professor Amer Shanati and singer-songwriter Stefka.
Vegter wrote the following about the creation of Me Here You There: "I first heard Ghayath Almadhoun during an interview with his translator Djûke Poppinga. He said that he fled Syria before the civil war broke out. He asked for asylum in Sweden and wrote the Poem 'I Cannot Be Present' in Stockholm, which articulates his discomfort at the distance between himself and the war in his native country.
As someone born and living in a safe country, my situation is of course much different. The world is burning and I refuse to look the other way. It's easy to do so with a roof over my head. My own discomfort led me to write poetry about war. My war is not his war. Ghayath and I decided to collaborate on a volume of poetry: his voice, my voice, my poems, his poems."
-
Antjie Krog Sestig
With: Ad Zuiderent, Adriaan van Dis, Anne Vegter, Antjie Krog, Anton Korteweg, Bas Kwakman, Christine Otten, Hester Knibbe, Ineke Holzhaus, Jan Baeke, Jan Klug, Jan van der Haar, K. Michel, Liesbeth Lagemaat, Mark Boog, Peter Swanborn, Raj Mohan, Rob Schouten, Robert Dorsman, Rodaan Al Galidi, Tom Lanoye, Tsead Bruinja
Dutch poets honoured the South-African poet and writer Antjie Krog. She celebrated her 60th birthday in The Hague. A festive evening, where Antjie Krog presented the audience her favourite poems in Afrikaans. Writers Adriaan van Dis interviewed her on the position of the Afrikaans poet in South-Afrika. Numerous Dutch poets read their poems for Antjie.
-
Shortlist VSB Poetry Prize
Days before the announcement of the winner of the VSB Poetry Award, the five nominees read at the festival. Peter Ghyssaert, Jan Lauwereyns, Willem Jan Otten, Erik Spinoy and Anne Vegter will recite their work. The VSB Poetry Award is being organised by our colleagues from Poetry International in Rotterdam. In Dutch.
-
Sermonizing: Anne Vegter
Dutch author Anne Vegter held a sermon on the State of Passion and Love, in which she gave some instructions in love-making. Dutch spoken.