Judith Uyterlinde
(The Netherlands, 1962) is a writer, literary journalist, publisher and, since 2023, director of Writers Unlimited. Her autobiographical debut The Baby Void – My Quest for Motherhood (2001) was an international success and has been translated in more than 20 countries. De vrouw die zegt dat ze mijn moeder is (The Woman Who Claims She's My Mother, 2010) recounts adoption in a family history set against the backdrop of World War II. Uyterlinde worked as editor and publisher for several literary publishers, including De Bezige Bij and J.M. Meulenhoff. Since 2017 she has been publisher/director at World Editions, specializing in English-language translated literature from around the world. For the Amsterdam Public Library, she runs the Literary Salon, and for Women Inc., the literature series Read My Lips. She coordinated the literary part of the Guest of Honour program presenting Dutch and Flemish literature at the 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair. Between 2005 and 2012, she was also associated with Writers Unlimited, first as a producer and later as the festival's event coordinator.
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Archive available for: Judith Uyterlinde
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Writers Meeting
With: Abdelkader Benali, Alvina Chamberland, Andrej Koerkov, Asta Olivia Nordenhof, Francis Broekhuijsen, George Abraham, Ilonka Reintjens, Judith Uyterlinde, Maarten van der Graaff, Margot Dijkgraaf, Mikaella Clements, Neeke Scheers, Onjuli Datta, Resoketswe Manenzhe, Rosabelle Illes, Stefanie Parisius-Sewotaroeno, Viv Groskop, Yael van der Wouden
The Writers Meeting is a private event in Huis van het Boek (House of the Book), The Hague, organized especially for and with the international authors attending the Writers Unimited International Literature Festival 2025, as well as with several Dutch authors and the team of festival programmers.
The Writers Meeting starts with a tour de table during which you are asked to introduce yourself and your work using an object, image or ritual that is important to you when writing.
The conversations are meant to get to know each other, to exchange ideas on the current state of the world we live in and the meaning of literature for our time. We use On Fire, this festival edition's theme, as motto.
Margot Dijkgraaf, literary critic, writer, curator, interviewer and debate host, leads the discussion. She gives the floor to each of you. You then have the opportunity to react to one another's observations. Meeting host is Barbara den Ouden, Team Coordinator and International Specialist at the Dutch Foundation for Literature.
The roundtable discussion is followed by a short private tour of the museum and its current exhibition Books as..., showcasing books from its collection alongside works by contemporary artists including Shani Leseman, An Onghena, Jorge Mendez Blake, and Hans Op De Beeck. The exhibition suggests various roles of books in our society and in our personal lives.
Huis van het Boek, oldest book museum in the world, is located in the former residence of the Baron Van Westreenen van Tiellandt (1783-1848) and is devoted to the hand-written and printed book of the past and present. Open to the public since 1852, the museum maintains an extensive collection of books from all periods of Western book history, starting with medieval manuscripts that are entirely written and illuminated by hand. The distinctive book room where a selection of these superb volumes can be seen, offers an overview of the development of writing, layout and decoration of manuscripts. The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions on themes related to both the old and modern book.
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The Flame of Freedom - Opening Writers Unlimited Festival 2025
With: Andrej Koerkov, Andrew Makkinga, Jan van Zanen, Jennifer Muntslag, Judith Uyterlinde, Mamar, Nelleke Noordervliet, Onjuli Datta, Resoketswe Manenzhe, Viv Groskop
The 30th edition of the Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague has the theme On Fire. Fire symbolises destructive forces such as war and global warming on the one hand, but also love and freedom on the other. Jan van Zanen, mayor of The Hague, will officially open the festival.
The opening night is dedicated to free speech, with a keynote speech by Ukraine's most important writer Andrei Kurkov, whose two new books have just been published in Dutch translation: the gripping war diary Our Daily War and the Kyiv-based historical thriller The Silver Bone.
Other speakers are author Nelleke Noordervliet, who will read a column and British author and stand-up comedian Viv Groskop who will represent PEN International, the writers' organisation dedicated to freedom of expression.
This programme is also a preview and kick-off of the 30th edition of the festival, with readings, music and talks. Dutch national broadcaster NPO Radio 1-programme Kunststof presenter Andrew Makkinga will interview writers who will also perform elsewhere in the festival:
South African author Rešoketšwe Manenzhe wrote Scatterlings, her first novel about a young family broken up by the law that criminalised interracial relationships. The New York Times wrote: "a novel that is at once exquisitely intimate and globally ambitious." Resoketswe will also perform at both grand festival evening programmes Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited.
Famous British author, stand-up comedian, podcast creator, TV and radio presenter Viv Groskop has written seven books and creates the podcast How to Own the Room, listened to millions of times, on topics including self-confidence, public speaking and dealing with stressful situations.
Onjuli Datta, of British descent and living in Berlin, co-authored the novels The View was Exhausting and Feast While You Can with her wife Mikaella Clements.
Mamar, a formation of young musicians from Syria, Turkey, the US, Italy and the Netherlands provides musical contributions. The band members are Barış Ofluoğlu (double bass), Sebastiaan West (piano), Rita Brancato (drums), Talaf Fayad (ud) and Leah Uijterlinde (clarinet, vocals).
The programme includes the screening of the short film Monument for murdered writers and journalists 2024, a project by Theatre of Wrong Decisions, Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) and PEN International.
The Flame of Freedom - Opening Writers Unlimited Festival 2025 is curated by Ilonka Reintjens.
Festival tip 1: after the opening night programme, join us for the spoken word event Mensen Zeggen Dingen x Writers Unlimited Festival, at Paard (starts 21:30 hours), an atmospheric spoken word waterfall including Palestinian-American poet George Abraham, Aruban spoken word artist and poet Rosabelle Illes and presenter Dean Bowen.
Get a discount here by buying a reduced price ticket for Mensen Zeggen Dingen x Writers Unlimited Festival at the online Paard box office for only 5,- (regular price 10,-).Festival tip 2: Rešoketšwe Manenzhe, Viv Groskop, Onjuli Datta and Andrei Kurkov will also perform during the grand festival nights Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited: experience the full festival experience here and choose your own route along performances, readings, talks, music and films with many authors and artists from home and abroad on five stages of Theater aan het Spui and the adjacent Filmhuis Den Haag.
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Ode to Remco Campert & The Hague Literary Prizes Ceremony
With: Aad Meinderts, Alma Mathijsen, Anjet Daanje, Benjamin Herman, Blue Moon, Corrie van Binsbergen, Ellen ten Damme, Jan Kuijper, Judith Uyterlinde, Kees 't Hart, Kees van Kooten, Lucky Fonz III, Maartje Meijer, Marjoleine de Vos, Mirjam van Hengel, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer, Rozalie Hirs, Saskia Bruines, Tjibbe Veldkamp, Tomas Lieske
To grandly celebrate the life and work of Remco Campert, an ode to him took place on the final day of the 2024 Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague, preceding the award ceremony of The Hague Literature Prizes. The event was organized by Writers Unlimited and the Literatuurmuseum, in collaboration with the Jan Campert Foundation, de Volkskrant and De Bezige Bij.
Ode to Remco Campert
Campert was honoured with appearances by prominent writers and artists such as Ellen ten Damme, Kees van Kooten, Ramsey Nasr, Alma Mathijsen, Mirjam van Hengel, South African poet Ronelda S. Kamfer, guitarist Corrie van Binsbergen and the Benjamin Herman Quartet formed by Benjamin Herman (saxophone), Thomas Poll (double bass), Timothy Banchet (piano) and Jimmi Hueting (drums). All let themselves be inspired by the person and work of Campert for their musical or verbal contributions.Remco Campert (1929-2022) was born in The Hague. He was a much-loved poet, novelist and columnist. His poetry won awards such as the Reina Prinsen Geerligs Prize, the Poetry Prize of the City of Amsterdam, the Jan Campert Prize, the P.C. Hooft Price and the Gouden Ganzenveer. In 2015 he was honoured with the Dutch Literature Prize.
Besides poetry, Campert wrote several novels, stories and novellas from the 1960s on, such as 2004's Een liefde in Parijs (A Love in Paris), which became revered classics. From 1989 until 1995, together with Jan Mulder and Bart Chabot, he read from his own work in theatres. From 1996 to 2006, together with Mulder, he wrote the joint column CaMu that appeared on the front page of the Volkskrant daily newspaper. His last works were 2019's Aanelkaar (To Each Other), an exchange of letters with Kees van Kooten, and the poetry collection Mijn dood en ik (My death and I, 2019), in which he lucidly looks death in the eye.
The Hague Literature Prizes Award Ceremony
The festival ended with The Hague Literature Prizes, which are awarded annually by the Jan Campert Foundation. The laureats - Anjet Daanje, Tomas Lieske, Rozalie Hirs en Tjibbe Veldkamp - received their prizes from Saskia Bruines, alderwoman of Finance, Culture and Economy of The Hague.Anjet Daanje received the Constantijn Huygens Prize, The Hague's most important award for a body of work. Tomas Lieske was awarded the F. Bordewijk Prize for his novel Niets dat hier hemelt. Rozalie Hirs received the Jan Campert Prize for her collection of poetry ecologica. The biennial Nienke van Hichtum Prize for children's books went to Tjibbe Veldkamp for his De jongen die van de wereld hield.
Each laureate was honoured with a laudatio by a special guest! Thus, writer Kees 't Hart and pianist, singer and composer Maartje Meijer performed for Anjet Daanje. Rozalie Hirs and Tomas Lieske were praised by poet Jan Kuijper and writer Marjoleine de Vos respectively. Singer-songwriter Lucky Fonz III performed for Tjibbe Veldkamp.
Judith Uyterlinde, director of Writers Unlimited, and Aad Meinderts, chair of the Jan Campert Foundation, delivered welcoming words.
Bookstore De Vries van Stockum was present in the foyer with a stand where books by the authors participating in this event and others were available!
Ode to Remco Campert & The Hague Literary Prizes Ceremony was curated by Jet Steinz on behalf of the Jan Campert Foundation and Writers Unlimited. Mirjam van Hengel hosted the event.
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Opening Night Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague
With: Adriaan van Dis, Aminatta Forna, Burhan Sönmez, Celeste Ng, Daniëlle Zawadi, Emilienne Malfatto, Hashem Kabreet, Jan van Zanen, Jörgen Tjon A Fong, Judith Uyterlinde, Sholeh Rezazadeh
Freedom to speak or write is important but impossible for many. The festival opened with "human voices" (the theme of this edition) from The Netherlands and beyond: a unique lineup of famous writers speaking out. This was one of those evenings of inspiration, creative thoughts and apt words that make a deep impression. Meet the authors who make their voices heard for four delightful days of this Hague festival!
Opening Night 2024 was focused on freedom of speech and the power of literature, with appearances and readings by US author Celeste Ng, internationally one of the most-read authors with Asian roots; the British writer Aminatta Forna (The Hired Man); Adriaan van Dis, whose moving new novel Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen was published Fall 2023; Burhan Sönmez, author of Istanbul, Istanbul and chair of the writers organization PEN International.
Young spoken-word artist and writer Daniëlle Zawadi from The Hague and, accompanied by percussionist Hashem Kabreet, writer and novelist Sholeh Rezazadeh gave spoken word performances.
Host Jörgen Tjon A Fong discussed with the US novelist Celeste Ng (Our Missing Hearts) and French writer and photojournalist Emilienne Malfatto (Le Colonel ne dort pas; The Colonel Doesn't Sleep) what "human voices" means to them in relation to freedom of speech. Finally, Hague mayor Jan van Zanen kicked things off by officially opening the festival!
The programme included the short film Monument for murdered writers and journalists 2023, a project by Theatre of Wrong Decisions, Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) and PEN International.
Our favourite Hague bookstore De Vries Van Stockum had well-stocked tables of books for sale in the foyer of the Theater aan het Spui throughout the festival (English and Dutch language) by the authors appearing at the festival. Browse to your heart's content, and maybe the author is even present to personally sign your freshly bought book.
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Baban Kirkuki in Nieuw Waldeck
With: Baban Kirkuki, Judith Uyterlinde, Kamal Hors
Poet Baban Kirkuki and oud-player and composer Kamal Hors presented a musical-poetic performance about Kirkuki's flight from Iraq and his experience in building an existence in The Netherlands. Hosted by writer and literary event organizer Judith Uyterlinde.
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Ideology as an Act of Fiction
Writers are more likely to take up the pen than the sword in order to fight injustice. Fiction becomes their ideological act. In The Underground Railway, the American Colson Whitehead gives a voice to Cora the slave in the so-called land of the free. Bolivian Rodrigo Hasbún writes about the daughter of a Nazi who becomes a guerrilla fighter in South America. Romanian Mircea Cărtărescu's characters groan under the communist yoke and escape into literature and the past, while Dutch writer Carolina Trujillo describes an underworld of drugs and dealers in Montevideo, Uruguay, where a former guerrilla was president until 2015. Moderator: Judith Uyterlinde.
