Sophia Blyden
(The Netherlands, 1993) is a writer, poet and producer. Her prose and poetry explore themes such as loneliness, power relationships, and her Caribbean roots. She likes to search for words that reflect the hopeless state of the world, but without shunning hope, humour and self-mockery. She has presented her poetry at a variety of Dutch literary events and publications. Her debut poetry collection Dobberen (Floating) was published in late 2024 by Querido Publishers.
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Archive available for: Sophia Blyden
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Book of My Life: Charlotte Remarque in conversation with Sophia Blyden
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: Charlotte Remarque.
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Het Zwarte Schaap: What Fuels Your Fire?
Writers Unlimited is not the only one celebrating an anniversary: Het Zwarte Schaap, The Hague's spoken word and spoken literature platform is celebrating its fifth anniversary: a safe meeting place and community for writers and their stories.
Het Zwarte Schaap opens the Saturday Night Unlimited programme in Zaal 2 of Theater aan het Spui with a special festival line-up. Performing in What Fuels Your Fire? are philosopher and spoken word artist Lev Avitan, writer and poet Rosabelle Illes and young spoken word talent Kylie Lyandra. Their readings will be musically accompanied on piano by Djuwa Mroivili. In conversation with moderator Sophia Blyden, they answer what drives them to take the stage again and again, to constantly seek out people who listen to their words.
Rosabelle Illes, writer and spoken word artist from Aruba, tries to grasp the intangible and incomprehensible in her work. In her readings, she occasionally collaborates with musicians.
Djuwa Mroivili is a Comorian-Dutch multidisciplinary artist. Although trained as a classical pianist, she also experiments with other formats of performance in which music plays a role.
Lev Avitan is a word artist, philosopher and theatre maker. His work is characterised by vulnerable self-reflection and social engagement. His spoken word film Mijn moeder wil niet meer leven (My mother doesn't want to live anymore, 2024) can be seen on NPO START. With Nabil Tkhidousset, he played 7sheb 3lik, a stage performance on fatherhood and trauma transmission, in autumn 2024. Spring 2025, he will publish a poetic philosophy book.
Kylie Lyandra is a young spoken word artist and medical student who uses her words to discuss important issues. She finds comfort and strength in writing and its vulnerability. In 2022, she will start her spoken word journey. From her depression and love to growing up as a black girl, she brings it to the stage.
Sophia Blyden, moderator of What Fuels Your Fire?, is a poet, programme maker and studied Modern Dutch Literature in Leiden. In her prose and poetry, she explores themes such as loneliness, power relations and the boundary between fact and fiction. She also likes to be inspired by fairy tales, myths and pop culture. Her debut collection Dobberen was published in 2024.
Het Zwarte Schaap: What Fuels Your Fire? is curated for Writers Unlimited Festival 2025 by Daniëlle Zawadi.
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Het Zwarte Schaap (The Black Sheep): Spoken word you won't hear anywhere else
Say it: Stories you won't hear anywhere else. Say it: The Black Sheep! Writers Unlimited and Het Zwarte Schaap gave space to poetic, rhythmic and musical acts by writers, poets and spoken-word performers that need to be heard aloud from the stage.
Het Zwarte Schaap is The Hague's young spoken-word and spoken-literature platform: a safe meeting space and community for writers and their stories. This evening, Het Zwarte Schaap presented a special Writers Unlimited festival lineup featuring Ronelda S. Kamfer, Jasper Albinus, Khadija Ibourk El Idrissi and Eva van Manen, with Sophia Blyden as host.
Jasper Albinus appears on stage as poet and spoken word-artist. In 2017 he joined the Poetry Circle, a platform for performing writers and writing performers, and took part in the Slow Writing Lab of the Dutch Foundation for Literature in 2018. In his work he makes issues of identity, history and politics hit home. He may appear at literary festivals or in theatres, and sometimes adds a poetic note to a debate. He performed at the Oerol, Brainwash and Writers Unlimited festivals, among others.
Sophia Blyden researches themes such as loneliness, power relationships and her Caribbean roots in her prose and poetry. She has presented her poetry at various Dutch venues. Her debut novel will be come out with Querido Publishers in late 2024.
Khadija Ibourk El Idrissi is a poet who writes in Dutch and other langagues. Her debut poem De ontmoeting (The Encounter) is pentalingual. She was on of the Young City Poets of The Hague in 2022, and has presented her poems at Dutch events and festivals. She participated in the 22/23 Poetry Circle and will continue her poetry career from there to find her way.
Ronelda S. Kamfer is one of today's most important South African authors. Her poetry collection Noudat Slapende Honde (Now, Sleeping Dogs, 2008) paints in incisive picture of living in poverty. Santenkraam (2012) contains stories in verse about a fishing village that must make way for a military terrain. Mammie (2017) is a loving and raw ode to her mother. Her first novel, Kompoun (2021), will be pulished in Dutch, translated by Alfred Schaffer, who also translated her poetry.
Eva van Manen is an artist, songwriter, poet and music producer who moves between disciplines and worlds. Her album Politiek & Liefde (Politics & Love, 2018) bridges styles such as rap, electronica and guitar pop, and investigates where politics and love overlap. In her poetry volume Hoe zijn we hier gekomen? (How Did We Get Here?, 2021) she seeks out the roots of the question of how we came to be in this country, this body and this political climate. In 2023 her solo EP Le Hérou will be released, featuring forest songs recorded in the Ardennes.
