Massih Hutak

(Afghanistan, 1992) came from Afghanistan to Amsterdam-Noord in 1998. From the age of 19 he has been creating a distinct profile of himself as a journalist, rapper (as Kidson Jones) and producer. In 2011 he was the youngest writer ever to make his debut with Contact publishers. The stories in his anthology Toen God nog in ons geloofde (When God still believed in us) are interwoven and can therefore be seen as a novella. Like his rap texts his prose is about youngsters trying to determine their place in society. Hutak draws from his own life, but also brings along Dostojevksy and Nescio as sources of inspiration. In a maze of storylines and characters Hutak in his debut deals with a great number of issues, from biblical dilemmas to the situation in Afghanistan. Hutak's style is refreshing and surprising. Sometimes hardboiled, then again sensitive. As is clear from the title of his debut Hutak likes to play with reversed perspectives. Thus a boy in one of his stories kills children because he wants to guard them from the misery in the world. See also: http://mr--jones.hyves.nl/