Due to family circumstances, author Pankaj Mishra has had to cancel his participation in the festival. As a result, the previously announced interview with him on Saturday afternoon, 24 January (12-1 p.m.) was cancelled.

Instead:

Anna Krijger, writer and journalist, talked to Nadia Moussaid about her forthcoming book Geen mens meer in Gaza (No One Left in Gaza). Prior to this, the young Palestinian-Ukrainian peace ambassador Zoya Miari opened the programme with her personal story, marked by the complexity of conflicts and growing up in a family torn apart by war. She wrote this especially for the occasion at the request of Writers Unlimited. Note: this programme is Dutch and partly English spoken.

For her book, Anna Krijger spoke with Palestinians, Israelis and Dutch people about humanity and “the other”. What does the dehumanisation of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel and the diaspora look like? Who are the few Jewish Israelis who see Palestinians as equals?

The lives of Israelis and Palestinians have never been the same since the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 and the ruthless Israeli war of retaliation. Grief, anger and fear make it almost impossible to see each other as human beings. However, the oppression, occupation and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people date back long before that day: the genocide in Gaza is the horrific conclusion.

In addition to being a writer, Anna Krijger has also been a politician for the Partij voro de Dieren (Party for the Animals) since 2023. She studied Arabic language and culture and lived as a freelance correspondent in Tel Aviv and East Jerusalem. In 2017, she made her debut with Hipsters, baarden, martelaren. Ontmoetingen in Israël en Palestina (Hipsters, Beards, Martyrs: Encounters in Israel and Palestine). Her book Geen mens meer in Gaza (No One Left in Gaza) was published in February 2026.

Zoya Miari's life journey has given her a unique perspective. Her Palestinian-Ukrainian background meant that she experienced two wars and became a refugee twice. Through these experiences, she discovered the power of storytelling and the ability of individuals to shape their own stories and the world around them. To share this vision, Zoya founded Waves to Home, a global movement that aims to change the world through personal and collective stories.

Nadia Moussaid is a journalist, programme maker and presenter. Since 2019, she has presented programmes on Dutch national television such as Bureau Buitenland (Radio 1/NPO 2), the cultural talk show Mondo (NPO 2), the talk show Op1 (NPO 1) and the late-night talk show Nadia (NPO 1). For the VPRO documentary Getuigen van Gaza (Witnesses of Gaza, 2025), she interviewed Gazans who had fled to Cairo and Amsterdam, as well as international experts.

De wereld na Gaza: interview met Anna Krijger was curated for Writers Unlimited by Ilonka Reintjens.

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.