Bert Paasman

(Hoogeveen, 1939) wrote his PhD thesis in 1984 on the discussion on the slave trade and slavery held in several literary and other texts (ca. 1625-1825). Since 1962 Paasman has been teaching Dutch historical and modern literature at the University of Amsterdam, specialised in the Enlightenment, colonial, post-colonial and migrant literature. He has edited series and magazines in the field of the Enlightenment and East and West Indian literature, particularly Dutch East Indian literature. He was a visiting lecturer at academies and universities in Indonesia, South Africa and Surinam. He is professor emeritus of Colonial and Post Colonial Cultural and Literary History at the University of Amsterdam.