Mira Feticu
(Romania, 1973) is a writer, poet and columnist. Her first poetry collection was published in 1993, after which she focused on prose. Lief kind van mij (Sweet Child of Mine, 2012) was her first novel, followed by De ziekte van Kortjakje (Kortjakje's Disease, 2013). Both books are about a Romanian immigrant who grew up under Ceausescu and is unable to settle down in the Netherlands, but who flourishes as she distances herself from her husband. Her third novel Tascha, about an art robbery in a Rotterdam museum, appeared in 2015, followed by Al mijn vaders (All My Fathers) and Picasso's keerzijde (Picasso's Flipside) in 2019 and Liefdesverklaring aan de Nederlandse taal (Love Letter to the Dutch Language, 2021). Her articles and columns appear in various Dutch publications. Her essay Geheugen, geschiedenis, beschaving: Een lofzang op de bibliotheek (Memory, history, civilisation: An ode to the library) appeared in 2023.
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Archive available for: Mira Feticu
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Book of My Life: Ellen Deckwitz in conversation with Mira Feticu
Writers tell us about their favourite book: the book that inspires or touches them, that set their artistic, moral or intellectual compass. In short, the book they would recommend to everyone. Interview: Ellen Deckwitz.
Mira Feticu chose as her favorite the novel De Mitsukoshi Troostbaby Company by Auke Hulst, an ambitious hybrid of memoir, robot story, time travel narrative and alternate history, focusing on loss, guilt and parenthood.
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Fleeting Time
Time is the space in which life unfolds, but time is hard to get a grip on. Minutes can last for centuries and years seem like two seconds. What is time? Humans have little time; that is their tragedy. At the same time, the awareness of that limited time gives our lives depth and meaning. What philosophy may not be able to explain can be expressed through literature.
As a writer, you can play with time and have the freedom to determine the chronology of the book, to speed up or slow down time. How does a writer compress a lifetime or a few centuries? Is a book a small time factory? Too many questions in too little time, but Connie Palmen and Annelies Verbeke answered them anyway! Moderator was writer and essayist Mira Feticu.
Connie Palmen always seeks out the border between fact and fiction in her work. She became well-known in the Netherlands with her debut novel and two following best-sellers. She has written several essay collections, such as
Het geluk van de eenzaamheid (The Joy of Loneliness, 2009) en Het drama van de afhankelijkheid (The Drama of Dependency, 2017). Many of her novels are based on events in her own life, and her essays are more narrative than usual. In 2023 she published Voornamelijk vrouwen (Mostly Women), personal essays about eleven women and one man who shape their lives in their own headstrong ways. Palmen debates with and challenges them, uncovering differences and similarities with her own life. Her award-winning work is internationally successful and translated into many languages.Annelies Verbeke writes novels, stories, film scripts and theatre pieces. In 2003 she debuted with Slaap! (Sleep!), followed by three novels, four short-story collections, the collection of journalistic stories Wakker (Awake, co-created with photographer Charlie De Keersmaecker), and the graphic novella Tirol Inferno, written in iambic pentameter and rhyme, co-created with illustrator Klaas Verplancke. Her work has won various prizes and been translated into many languages. In 2023 she published Koude soep (Cold Soup) in the Terloops Series and JIJ, an anthology of you-stories.
Mira Feticu is a writer, poet and columnist. In 2012 she published her first novel in Dutch: Lief kind van mij (Sweet Child of Mine), followed by De ziekte van Kortjakje (Kortjakje's Disease, 2013). Both books are about a Romanian immigrant who grew up under Ceausescu and is unable to settle down in the Netherlands, but who flourishes as she distances herself from her husband. Her third novel Tascha, about an art robbery in a Rotterdam museum, appeared in 2015, followed by Al mijn vaders (All My Fathers), Picasso's keerzijde (Picasso's Flipside) and Liefdesverklaring aan de Nederlandse taal (Love Letter to the Dutch Language, 2021).
Festival tip: Connie Palmen talked with artist Sven Ratzke about their theatre show Marlene and about masculinity and femininity on Saturday afternoon, 20 January 2024, at Theater aan het Spui; later that day she contributed to a conversation during Saturday Night Unlimited with Celeste Ng and Sacha Bronwasser about the voice of the character.
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Chris Keulemans - gastvrijheid
With: Canan Marasligil, Chris Keulemans, Mira Feticu
We cordially invited you to discuss hospitality and the 12 rules from his eponymous book with Chris Keulemans yourself this December afternoon. We were curious what your definition of hospitality is and enjoyed to exchange thoughts about this in Studio B.
Dutch spoken.
Event curated by Fleur Jeras (Writers Unlimited)
Books for sale courtesy of De Vries Van Stockum Books
Please note!- It is mandatory to show an identity card and a corona admission ticket at the entrance.
- The corona admission ticket is mandatory for adults and children older than 13 years.
- There is a maximum occupancy in Studio B, Central Library.
- When entering the Central Library, wearing a face mask is mandatory. This can be taken off again when you take your seat in the venue.
- In the event of cancellation due to corona complaints, we return the purchase amount.
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World Storytelling in ISS
With: Çağlar Köseoğlu, Efe Murad, Kees Biekart, Magda Cârneci, Mira Feticu
Listen to stories from near and far. They were told by African, Latin American and Asian students from the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, as well as by four Winternachten festival guests: poets Efe Murad (Turkey), Magda Cârneci (Romania), Mira Feticu (Netherlands) and Çaglar Köseoglu (Netherlands) who contributed with stories about writing poems in revolutionary times. Kees Biekart, Associate Professor in Political Sociology at ISS, hosted the conversations. English spoken.
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The Hague - Fragments of a Hidden City
Three Hague authors - Max Lerou, Mira Feticu and Hizir Cengiz - have written a new story or poem especially for Writers Unlimited, inspired by what remains hidden in their city. This evening they came to read their new works. What a party!
But what is actually hidden? "The Hague is a segregated city," says Festival curator Shervin Nekuee. He's been living in the Netherlands for thirty years, including the last ten in The Hague. "Poor and rich, young and old, native-born and foreign-born live alongside one another. That's why it's high time to show the city to one another with new stories."
Lerou is a wonderful performer of his own work: as a full-blooded performance poet, he enjoys getting inspired by music and his city. In 2017 he hit the stage during the opening of Parkpop and at the Embassy Festival on the Lange Voorhout.
Feticu writes poetry and prose. Her work has been published in Tirade and De Groene Amsterdammer; she writes a weekly column in Den Haag Centraal newspaper and is a programmer of B-Unlimited.
At age 18, Cengiz won the first Jan Paul Bresser Prize (2017) for his essay "The World Is a Bucket of Mud", published in De Groene Amsterdammer. In it, he describes how he moved to the Netherlands and ended up in the Schilderswijk. In the meantime he has been writing regular columns for De Groene Amsterdammer and working on a novel.
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Through the Noordeinde: De Filosoof
Wineshop De Filosoof at Papestraat 5 in The Hague is the place where wine, philosophy and poetry embrace. You will not only find a wide range of wines on the premises, but also a gathering every two weeks, featuring a prominent philosopher or poet, at which discuss the sense and senselessness of life. The basement under the shop has been specially rebuilt as a small agora, where thoughts can be exchanged in good company with a glass of wine. Attendance at the gatherings is free.
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Through the Noordeinde: Omar Munie
In 2006, a dream inspired Omar Munie to launch his line of bags, Omar Munie Clothing. The business has since grown into one of the best-known brands in the Netherlands. The Omar Munie Flagship Store opened on Rotterdam's Coolsingel in 2010, then moved to prestigious Noordeinde 43T in The Hague in 2013.
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The Secret Space - Poetry
Within De verborgen ruimte (The Secret Space), the map is newly read and drawn by nine poets. Which sounds and tones belong in it, what has not yet been said, and what is continually misunderstood? Who is on the sidelines or smack in the centre? The Secret Space could be in suburbia, in a body, in a factory farm, or in an addictions clinic. This has consequences - whoever peeks into the secret space loses a number of his or her certainties. When the map is redrawn, no one finds their way home.
The "VSB Poetry Prize on Tour" forms part of The Secret Space - among the performing poets are the authors of three volumes nominated for the VSB Poetry Prize: Kwaadgesternte (Born Under a Bad Sign) by Hannah van Binsbergen, Lichtmeters by Ruth Lasters and Koelkastlicht (Refrigerator Light) by Rodaan Al Galidi. In addition, Marieke Rijneveld, Dominique de Groen, Mira Feticu, Obe Alkema, Simone Atangana Bekono and Ton van 't Hof will read from their work. The Secret Space is organized and presented by the poet Maarten van der Graaff, winner of the C.Buddingh' Award 2014 for his debut collection Vluchtautogedichten (Getaway Car Poems). Programme in Dutch
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Seven Deadly Sins
Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger and sloth. The seven deadly sins are inseparable from literature, film and visual art. The festival asked seven authors to each choose one and write a fresh text about it. Tonight you'll hear sinful stories from home and abroad, with accompanying music by Dick van der Harst. A superb literary-musical programme to enjoy with abandon. José Eduardo Agualusa, Slavenka Drakulić, Mira Feticu, Petina Gappah, Daan Heerma van Voss, Andrej Kurkov and Neel Mukherjee read in their own language, with simultaneous translations projected in English and Dutch.
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New Talent in the House!
Five powerful new female stars in the literary firmament talk about their ultimate sense of being at home in specially written commentaries. Much-discussed debutante Nina Polak and her up-and-coming colleagues Bregje Hofstede, Mira Feticu, Roos van Rijswijk, and Shantie Singh appear in a varied program. Presented by Simone van Saarloos. In Dutch.
