Hassnae Bouazza
(Morocco, 1973) is a journalist, columnist, translator, researcher and producer. She publishes in various media (including Dutch national daily newspaper NRC and women's magazine Linda); runs her own online magazine for culture lovers, Aicha Qandisha. She compiled a story collection about Arab women, Achter de sluier (Behind the Veil, 1999); 2013 saw the publication of her book Arabieren kijken (Looking at Arabs), about "ordinary" people in the Arab world. She made TV programs for various broadcasters, including the documentary series Seks en de Zonde (Sex and Sin). Together with Michelin-starred chef Soenil Bahadoer, she wrote the culinary books Spicy Chef (2020) and Streetfood (2022). She published two further books in 2022: Een koffer vol citroenen (A Suitcase Full of Lemons), a requiem for and portrait of her mother, and Arbeidsmigranten in Nederland (Migrant Labourers in the Netherlands).
Past events
Book of My Life with Astrid Lampe
About How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell.
Book of My Life with Celeste Ng
About Transformations by Anne Sexton.
Book of My Life with Marja Pruis
About Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
Book of My Life with Ellen Deckwitz
About The Evenings (De avonden) by Gerard Reve.
Book of My Life by Aminatta Forna
About Anils Ghost by Michael Ondaatje.
Book of My Life with Emilienne Malfatto
About L'indésirable by Jules Régis Debray.
Book of My Life with Tash Aw
About Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.
Body Language
Physicality in the work of bestselling authors Celeste Ng (USA) and Aminatta Forna (UK)
Book of My Life: Reggie Baay
Writers tell us about their favourite book, followed by a book-signing session.
Book of My Life: David Van Reybrouck
Writers told us about their favourite book, followed by a book-signing session.
Thinking Beyond the State
Is the state capable of coping with globalization? Ian Buruma spoke with American-Mexican author Jennifer Clement and writer David Van Reybrouck.
Borders and Secret Doors
How do we deal with borders in an era of globalization? A conversation, with musical contributions and drawings, about the necessity and impossibility of national borders.
The Book of My Life: Bas Heijne
Writers talk about their favourite book - the book that inspires or moves them; the book that formed their moral or intellectual compass; the book that they would recommend to anyone.
IS: The Counter-Narrative
A conversation, a video essay, a poem and music about how to counteract the horror campaign and propaganda machine of the so-called Islamic State.
IS: The Horror Show
How should one analyze staged and theatrically planned murderous acts? What is the relationship between IS's bombastic horror-pathos and the fascist European propaganda of the 1930s? A late night show with conversations, a reading and music.
Stars of Arabic Literature
Finally, the poems of Adonis, the most important contemporary Arabic poet, have been translated into Dutch. Tonight Adonis receives the first copy of his poetry collection Wat blijft (What Remains) from Rotterdam’s Mayor Aboutaleb. After that, Egypt’s Alaa al Aswany also presents new work in translation: The Automobile Club of Cairo.
Hassnae Bouazza's film choice: Watching Arabs
Arabist Petra Stienen interviews writer and journalist Hassnae Bouazza. We look at film fragments Hassnae chose for us to watch, with a view to the publication of her latest book Watching Arabs, the Undistinguished Revolution. In Dutch.
The Promised Land
For emigrants the shocking contrast between dream and reality is apparently not only a painful but also a rich source of inspiration. Hassnae Bouazza talks to Jean Kwok, originally of China, and Youssouf Amine Elalamy (Morocco) on the everlasting enchantment of the Promised Land. In English.
The tone and the Music
Conversation about engagement and literature with Iman Humaydan and Kettly Mars; host Hassnae Bouazza. In English
Wintercafé 1: Herman Koch
Specially for Winternachten Koch wrote a ‘short history of deceit’, in cooperation with DeBuren in Brussels. The Wintercafé is hosted this entire Friday-night by Hassnae Bouazza and Petra Possel. In Dutch.
Wintercafé 2: Masquerades
Pupils from local secondary schools just do it: climbing the stage and reading their poetry on the topic of ‘masquerades’. In addition to them, Gerrit Komrij reads poems specially selected for Winternachten. In Dutch.
Wintercafé 3: Metamorphoses
Gündüz Vassaf (Turkey), Nury Vittachi (Hongkong) and the Moroccan author Youssouf Amine Elalamy tell stories about metamorphoses. In English.
Wintercafé 4: You don't know what you see
Psychologist and writer Katinka van der Kooij and evolutionary biologist and writer Tijs Goldschmidt on the question: can be survive without manipulation? With readings from their own work. In Dutch.
