(Amsterdam, NL 1953) is an evolutionary biologist and a writer. In his essays he presents himself as the missing link between the arts and the sciences. Again and again he places science in a broader cultural framework. In his collections of essays Vis in Bad (Fish in the Bath, 2014) and Kloten van de engel (Angels' Balls; 2007) he shows that culture is often much more natural than we think. In september 2016 a collection of his essays, The Other Left Side will be published by Seven Stories Press in New York. After graduation Goldschmidt left for Tanzania for five years to study cichlids (Percidae) in Lake Victoria. That study resulted in a Ph.D. thesis and a book combining his scientific findings with personal experiences: Darwin's Dreampond (1994). This debut was translated in English, French, German, Japanese and Chinese, among others. In 1993 Goldschmidt decided to give up his academic career to become a fulltime writer. In 2007 he delivered the Huizinga Lecture in Leiden entitled Pretending to pretend. Since 2009, Tijs Goldschmidt is advisor to the State Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam.

(Oirschot, 1957) from 1983 to 1987 he worked in Surinam. Van Kempen is the compiler of two extensive anthologies: Spiegel van de Surinaamse poëzie (Mirror of the Surinamese Poetry) (1995) and Mama Sranan. 200 jaar Surinaamse verhaalkunst (Mama Sranan, 200 Years of Surinamese Storytelling) (1999). In 1997 his first novel, Plantage Lankmoedigheid (Plantation Patience) appeared. He also published: Het Nirwana is een lege trein (Nirvana is an Empty Train) (2000) and Pakistaanse nacht (Pakistani Night) (2002). In 2002 he obtained his doctorate with his thesis Een geschiedenis van de Surinaamse literatuur (A history of Surinamese literature). His anthology Noordoostpassanten (Northeast Transients), which he compiled together with Wim Rutgers, was presented at the Winternachten festival in 2005. In 2006 he published the novel Escape Routes.

(Dinxperlo, 1941) after moving to Surinam in 1971, specialised in Caribbean literature. He taught Dutch in Surinam and later on Aruba. Following that he worked for the University of Aruba up until his pension. In 1984 he published the Caribbean children's books from Miep Diekman and was co-compiler of Cosecha Arubiano; un antologia. In 1987 his book Dubbeltje Lezen – Stuivertje Schrijven (Ten cents reading and five cents writing), about Dutch Caribbean literature, was published His most important work is the book Beneden en boven de wind. Literatuur van de Nederlandse Antillen en Aruba (The windward islands. Literature from the Dutch Antilles and Aruba) (1996). In 1996 he compiled Zingende eilanden. Verhalen van de Caraïben (Singing islands. Stories from the Carribean). He writes reviews for the Antillean daily paper Amigoe di Curaçao and publishes and reviews about Surinam and Antillean literature in various magazines. During Winternachten the book Noordoostpassanten (North East transients), which he wrote together with Michiel van Kempen, will be presented: a survey of 400 years of Dutch storytelling about Surinam, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba.
WIN 2005

(Netherlands, 1958) has produced and presented the VPRO radio programme OVT since 2002, a two-hour show about the historical roots of current events as well as newly released historical books, films, commemorations, and anything else related to history. The show features live interviews, reportage, columns and a weekly documentary during the last half hour. He was already linked to OVT since 1992 as a programmer and previously freelanced for other national Dutch broadcasters such as VARA and IKON.

Pierre Lauffer (1920-1981) was generally considered to be the greatest 20th century Papiamento poet of Curaçao. Alongside his writing of poetry he also pioneered the stimulation and writing of songs in Papiamento. Pierre Lauffer jr. once promised to put his father's verses to music and make an album of it. Now, almost twentyfive years after his father's death, he is about to fulfill his promise. He will be accompanied by the crème de la crème of Antillean musicians that are working in the Netherlands.

(Hengelo, NL 1962) is a radio journalist and a writer. His most recently published book is De Wadden (The Frisian islands; 2013), a poetic history of the Frisian islands. His book of short stories Brutus heeft honger (Brutus is hungry, 2011) was nominated for the AKO Literature Prize. Eating being the leitmotiv, Deen jumps through world history. The forty-four historical stories are fine miniatures of scarcely one and a half page long. After having studied Dutch in Groningen Deen worked for Radio Noord for some years. His radio columns from those days were collected in two publications. Since 2001 Deen has been programme maker with VPRO radio, hosting the historical radio programme OVT. A number of historical documentaries which he made for VPRO radio has been published as an audiobook. The radio series De lange weg naar Darwin (Long road to Darwin) appeared on cd and as a podcast. Deen was programme coordinator of the Winternachten Festival between 2009 and 2011.