Who are you when you get older? Not just old, but grandparent-old? Singer-songwriter and poet Gerson Main wondered about this and, together with illustrator Hedy Tjin, created the wonderful book Alle dingen die mijn opa stiekem is (All the things my grandpa secretly is). It's about a grandpa who is much more than just a grandpa: he is an adventurer, a diver, a captain and a sultan. A loving and comforting tribute to imagination, especially when you are dealing with loss.

Gerson read aloud and played music! Afterwards, you joined Hedy in making pop-up cards about “things you secretly want to be” or things you dream about. A cheerful and musical programme for ages 6 and up, so you brought your parents and grandparents along! Host and presenter was Francis Broekhuijsen.

Gerson Main is a versatile theatre maker, musician, writer and poet who has made the Dutch language his instrument. Since reaching the final of De beste singer-songwriter van Nederland in 2015, he has enchanted many audiences with his narrative songs. He has collaborated on theatre productions such as Daar Ergens with Akwasi, which played at Oerol and in sold-out venues, and his own show Ga weg, maar blijf, which was performed at De Parade. Gerson has also written music for artists such as Dio and Stef Bos. He recently released his second album, Weg van dit feestje, which is also the title of his new theatre performance.

Hedy Tjin is an illustrator and visual artist. Tjin is known for powerful colours expressing subjects of societal value, whether in murals, textile prints or illustrated books. Tjin illustrated books such as Op de rug van Bibi Kayman by Henna Goudzand Nahar and made with Zindzi Zevenbergen the awarded books Lennox en de Gouden Sikkel (Lennox and the Golden Crescent, 2022, together with Brian Elstak) and De reis van Manie Schaafijs (The Journey of Manie Schaafijs, 2023). Recently she illustrated Alle dingen die mijn opa stiekem is (All things my granddad secretly is), a comforting picturebook about dealing with loss and the power of imagination written by singer-songwriter and poet Gerson Main.

Francis Broekhuijsen is a presenter, producer, actor and voice-over artist specializing in music, literature, arts and culture. He was a presenter at Amsterdam-based broadcaster AT5 and a radio producer and DJ on several national Dutch radio networks. He narrates audio books, and was shortlisted for the Storytel Award 2019 for Best Audio Book with his reading of Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer's novel Grand Hotel Europa. In 2025 he wrote and hosted the tv-series Kringlopen met Francis on regional Dutch broadcaster NH. Broekhuijsen works for Writers Unlimited as festival curator and presenter.

Alle dingen die mijn opa stiekem is was compiled for Writers Unlimited by Neeke Scheers.

Festival tip: for young festival visitors of 4 years and up, on Sunday afternoon, 25 January (2:00-3:00 p.m.), there was Mir en de Muusjes en de mooiste mislukking ooit (Mir and the Muusjes and the most beautiful failure ever) at Theater en Filmhuis Dakota, as part of the Nationale Voorleesdagen (National Reading Aloud Days). Author Najiba Abdellaoui read from her latest children's book. Yara Ruby, the illustrator of Mir en de Muusjes, then gave a short workshop entitled 'Draw your own Muusje'.


From 22 to 25 January 2026, Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague was to be found in theatres, libraries and schools throughout the city: from Theater aan het Spui, Filmhuis Den Haag, GR8 to Theater Dakota, Curaçaohuis, the Laakkwartier, Nieuw Waldeck, Schilderswijk and Ypenburg libraries, the Institute of Social Studies and De Haagse Hogeschool. With over 100 writers, poets, spoken-word artists and musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. With readings, prose, poetry, storytelling, spoken word, author interviews, topical talks, films and music.