Book launch: Etienne Ys and Maghalie van der Bunt-George at the Curaçaohuis

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Curaçao writers Etienne Ys and Maghalie van der Bunt-George presented their debut novels in the Curaçaohuis (Cabinet of the Plenipotentiary Minister of Curaçao) at Prinsegracht 63-65 in The Hague.

They spoke with writer and Writers Unlimited-programmer Shantie Singh and the audience about their work, and the stories and storytelling culture of the island. The book presentation during the Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague was organised in cooperation with Wintertuin.

Maghalie van der Bunt-George published the short story collection Oro is goud (Oro is Gold) in 2024. The city districts of Otrobanda and Punda, with St. Anna Bay in between, make up the historic centre of Curaçao; Nieuw Nederland is traditionally an immigrant neighbourhood adjacent to this city centre. These colourful places are the setting for the love stories, historical narratives and adventures that reflect the inseparable bond between the people of Curaçao and the Netherlands, rooted in a shared past.

Etienne Ys, former prime minister of the then Netherlands Antilles, made his debut as a writer in autumn 2024 with De barmhartige staat, a compelling novel that outlines a world in which not Europe but West Africa conquered large parts of the western hemisphere. On the island of Botan Po, the king and crown prince want to introduce progressive reforms that include more rights for enslaved white Europeans - but not everyone in the court wants to let this happen just like that.

Shantie Singh is an author, programme maker and moderator. Her origins are layered and connected to three continents in the countries of India, Suriname and the Netherlands. On this, she wrote her debut novel Vervoering (Elation, nomination Inktaap Prize 2016). This was followed by the novel De kier (The crack). In 2024, she published the non-fiction book Na de komma - Hindostanen en de erfenis van kolonialisme (After the comma - Hindustani people and the legacy of colonialism), in which contract labour is a major theme. From this book emerged the theatre performance Her (S)tories, an ode to the women of Hindustani migration history. In 2024 and 2025, this performance will continue to be staged in the Netherlands.

Wintertuin is a Nijmegen-based literary organisation focusing on stories, talent and innovation. Wintertuin sees literature as an art form capable of being an innovative and changing force in society. Wintertuin looks at the world around it with an open mind, looking for new voices, new perspectives, new forms of publishing and for ways in which literary culture can be renewed.

Information

Date and time Thursday 23 January 2025 from 15:30 to 16:30 hrs
Location Curaçaohuis (Kabinet van de Gevolmachtigde Minister van Curaçao)
Price SOLD OUT

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Maghalie van der Bunt-George

was born in Delft, where her Curaçaoan father studied and married her Dutch mother. She grew up in Curaçao, studied in the Netherlands and returned to the island of her childhood after her studies. She is a child of two worlds and feels deeply connected to both countries in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Her novel Oro is goud: verhalen van Otrobanda en Nieuw Nederland (Oro is gold: stories of Otrobanda and Nieuw Nederland, 2024) is her debut as a writer. Two neighbourhoods of Willemstad form the setting and at the same time the habitat of extraordinary characters and their love stories, historical tales and adventures. The stories reflect an inextricable bond between the people of Curaçao and the Netherlands, rooted in a shared past.
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Etienne Ys

(Curacao, 1962) was born and raised on the island of Curaçao. As former prime minister of the then Netherlands Antilles, he played an important role in shaping the new constitutional relations within the Kingdom. He considers himself fortunate to have been present at the birth of Curaçao as an autonomous state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. His political mantra ‘formashon, formashon i mas formashon’ (‘education, education and more education’) still resonates in his work and life. He made his debut as a novelist in 2024 with De barmhartige staat (The Merciful State) in which a king implements reforms in a world dominated by an ancient empire. A battle for an island's future ensues as traditional power and progress collide.
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Shantie Singh

(The Netherlands, 1982) is an author, program maker, and moderator. Themes such as identity, diversity, women's rights, and emancipation are often central to her work. Her background is layered and connected to three continents in the countries of India, Suriname, and The Netherlands. She wrote about this in her debut novel Vervoering. This was followed by the novel De kier. In 2024, her non-fiction book Na de komma – Hindostanen en de erfenis van het kolonialisme (After the Comma – Hindustani People and the Legacy of Colonialism) was published, her plea for greater recognition and visibility of the Hindustani story in the Netherlands. This book inspired her theatre production Her (s)tories (2024-2025), an ode to the women from Hindustani migration history. In her De Dolle Kavita Talkshow, Shantie welcomes trailblazers (women, men, or anything in between) with a story that needs to be heard. She is also a member of the feministic writers collective Fixdit.

Go to the website of Shantie Singh
Instagram: @shantie.singh1
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