How are desire, intimacy and the body portrayed in writing? What do the books we read and the texts we write ourselves, say about how we view love and lust?

VPRO Club Lees and the young poets' collective FFÛH will explore these themes with you, led by club members Mahat Arab, Hanneke van der Paardt and Noah de Campos Neto. Writer Hanna Bervoets will talk about how these themes recur in her work, and poets Lila Maria De Coninck and Lies Kelder will recite a new poem written especially for this occasion. Tessel ten Zweege gives a mini

There was music: beautiful, raw indie by plonki, aka Pleun Stork who participated in Popronde 2025 as 3voor12 Talent and received the Music Support Award at The Hague Pop Gala. And you also had a voice; joined in the conversation, asked questions or shared your book recommendations. Don't expect a conventional book review, but rather a lively programme for young people who are curious about what literature can mean in our search for love, desire and who we are in our bodies. No taboos, but plenty to say. Tessel ten Zweege gave a mini-lecture on a feminist perspective on sex in books. Were you there? 

Tip: you recited your own poem or came and listened to poetry by new talent during FFÛH's Open Mic in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui (13:45-14:45, free of charge). Immediately after Love, Reading & Lust, FFÛH presented their new, second poetry collection (published by PIP Den Haag) with readings in the foyer (16:00-17:00, free of charge).

Hanna Bervoets is a writer of novels, screenplays, plays, short stories and essays on media and popular (online) culture. She published, among others the bestseller Alles wat er was (Everything That Was), followed by Efter (2014), Ivanov (2016), Fuzzie (2017) and Welkom in het Rijk der zieken (Welcome to the Kingdom of the Sick) (2019). In 2017, Bervoets won the BNG Bank Literature Prize for Ivanov, and in the same year she also won the Frans Kellendonk Prize for her entire oeuvre. In 2021, her first collection of short stories, Een modern verlangen (A Modern Desire), was published and awarded the J.M.A. Biesheuvel Prize. In 2025, her tenth novel, Geld verdienen (Earning Money), was published.

Lila Maria De Coninck is a Flemish creator living in The Hague. She makes music, theatre and writes poetry. She contributed poetry to Zilt en Asfalt (Salt and Asphalt), the collection by the young Hague-based poets' collective FFÛH, which was launched during the Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival 2025.

Lies Kelder is a Dutch artist working on the borders of text, literature, philosophy, graphic design and architecture. She prefers paper as material for her works (in all shapes and sizes), because of its ability to transform and reference.

FFÛH is a collective and literary platform for young writers in The Hague. FFÛH has a strong desire to provide a broader stage for the undiscovered writing talent that lurks in The Hague. It has emerged as a platform for poetry evenings, open mics and collective writing sessions.

Club Lees is VPRO's online book club with now more than 18,000 members. In the Club Lees app, young people read a free favourite book of one of the four regular club members every month: singer-songwriter Naaz (25), BookTokker Noah de Campos Neto (23), spoken-word artist Mahat Arab (29) and actress and theatre maker Hanneke van der Paardt (29); all young creatives for whom reading is important. Each book is enriched with content, such as notes, memes, videos or articles, by that month's leading club member. All readers can interact with each other in the app or on social media, and the month ends with a digital meet-up.

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.