On Friday evening, 23 January 2026, Ypenburg Library and Writers Unlimited Festival invited you to meet writer and musician Xillan Macrooy. He read excerpts from his new novel, performed some of his songs while accompanying himself on the piano, and talked about his book. The performance and conversation with Shantie Singh were free of charge.

In Xillan's novel, Lanny grows up with his twin brother in Paramaribo. The boys are talented: they draw and become known as a singing duo. But as he gets older, Lanny increasingly withdraws into the 'moon side' of life. He does not consider himself a 'sun'. And as it becomes increasingly clear what his feelings for his best friend really mean, a period begins in which everything seems to lose its meaning: music, the free life he was able to enjoy as a child, and even the bond with his twin brother.

Xillan Macrooy's novel Mensen als zonnen en mensen als manen (People Like Suns and People Like Moons) is about growing up as a Black queer boy in Suriname and shows how perceptions of masculinity can influence an individual's life. Xillan is radically honest, and through him, the reader discovers up close how Lanny slowly learns to see himself in the sunlight.

NRC wrote: 'The narrative drive bursts from the pages, and Xillan Macrooy immediately evokes so much: smells, colours, feelings, and he is so generous with his talent.'

Xillan Macrooy is a storyteller in literature, theatre and music. He moves between different disciplines, celebrating his identity as a shapeshifter. As the son of multiple worlds, the constant transformation of identity plays an important role in his work. His debut novel, Mensen als zonnen en mensen als manen (People Like Suns and People Like Moons), was published in September 2025. He is currently touring theatres with his show A COMING OF (R)AGE RITUAL. His debut album SON will follow later this year.

Shantie Singh is an author, program maker, and moderator. 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.

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.