Mustafa Stitou
(Tetouan, Morocco, 1974) studied philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. In 1994, he made his debut with the poetry collection Mijn vormen (My Forms). It was followed by Mijn gedichten (My Poems) (1998), Varkensroze ansichten (Pig pink postcards) (2003), awarded the Jan Campert Prize, among others, and Tempel (2013), for which he received the Awater Poetry Prize. He was Amsterdam's City Poet for a year, has performed at numerous festivals at home and abroad, and collections with selections of his work were published in both Swedish and English translations. Waar is het lam (Where is the Lamb?, 2022), his fifth collection of poems, is a probing investigation into the meaning of sacrifice; an intriguing collection of poems in which the personal and political, dream and reality, fear and desire continually interact. The collection is competing for the Grote Poëzieprijs, the leading Dutch award for poetry, the winner of which will be announced on 17 May 2023.
Past events
Ode to Remco's Coat
A programme celebrating Remco Campert. Fado singer Cristina Branco and pianist João Paulo have set the celebrated Dutch poet's Ode aan mijn jas (Ode to My Coat) to music. Mustafa Stitou, Hanneke van Eijken, and VSB Poetry Prize nominees Hester Knibbe, Alfred Schaffer, and Peter Verhelst each dedicate a poem to him. Concluding performance by the Blue Moon choir. A collaboration with Poetry International and the VSB Poetry Prize.