Hannah van Binsbergen

(1993) debuted in 2016 with the poetry collection Kwaad gesternte (Born Under a Bad Sign), which immediately led to a nomination for the 2017 VSB Poetry Prize. Van Binsbergen, who studied philosophy at the University of Amsterdam, investigates in her book how one can lead a meaningful life in a world dominated by market forces and strife. The dream of progress stands in sharp contrast to the individual who does not feel at home in a world he cannot grasp. She writes about the exhaustion of the earth, about unaffordable medicines. Despite her sad view of humanity, there is hope - the hope carried in words which, she believes, can make the difference. Words of poets who engage and participate fully in society.