(1953, NL Woerden) is a composer, performer and poet. He studied mathematics and musicology but didn't finish his studies. Instead he played the saxophone and started composing. In recitals of poetry and later in improvisations and pieces of his own, he developed his genius as a voice performer. In 2000 he started working with electronics. First on the basis of samples of his own voice, later with pure sound synthesis. Some five years ago, from a renewed interest in mathematics, he started doing research into the possibilities of algorhythmic compositions for the creation of music, visual animation and poetry. As a vocalist Jaap Blonk is unique because of his presence on the stage and his frank improvisations, combined with a sharp sense of structure. He has performed worldwide and worked with many musicians in contemporary and improvised music. Recordings appeared on Staalplaat, Lopl.op, Basta, VICTO and Monotype. His own record label Kontrans has released 17 titles so far.

(Morocco, 1975) is an award-winning writer, poet, playwright and curator. His 1996 debut, Bruiloft aan zee (Wedding By the Sea), was an immediate success. His second novel, De langverwachte (The Long-awaited) won him the prestigious 2003 Libris Literature Award. Benali's subjects vary, but sports and the migrant who never really feels at home are recurring themes. He has written novels about his great passion of running, about his travels, and about migrants' cultural identity (Bad Boy). His work has been published internationally. Recent books include the novel Paradijsvogel boven Hoge Woerd (Bird of Paradise over Hoge Woerd, 2022) and Het andere verhaal (The Other Story, 2022), an essay about his research into 75 years of modern Moroccan art.

(Nijmegen, NL, 1960) writes essays, short stories and plays, and is a columnist with the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad. He published the novels Laatste woorden (Last words) and Suez and received the Henriëtte Roland Holst Prize in 2005. In 2011's Moeten wij van elkaar houden, het populisme ontleed (Do We Have to Love One Another? Populism Dissected) Heijne shows how globalisation and individualism pave the way for populism. Angst en schoonheid (Fear and Beauty) was published in 2013, an essay about Dutch writer Louis Couperus, whom Heijne admires. In the same year his documentary about Couperus was broadcast. In 2015 he hosted the five-part documentary De volmaakte mens (The Perfect Human). In 2016 his essay Onbehagen – nieuw licht op de beschaafde mens (Discontent - new light on civilized man) was published. In 2017 Heijne received the P.C. Hooft Award for his essayistic works.

(Nijmegen, 1957). De vogelspin (The bird spider) is his first novel. In April 2000 the thriller Dossier Jeugdbende (File: Juvenile Gangs) was published, the first part of a series District Noord. Part two, Dossier Gifmoord (File: Poison Murder) was published a year later. He studied Dutch language and literature, Philosophy and Comparative Literature and works as a freelance literary journalist, writer and translator (Amin Maalouf, John Updike, among authors). He worked for Boekblad and writes for Ook dat nog (KRO Dutch television). Under the pseudonym Steven Klamm he writes horror stories for children.

(Hulshorst, NL, 1951) received the Anne Vondeling Award for political journalism in 2008, owing to her sharp analyses of social problems. She is a journalist in the widest sense of the word. Besides being an editor and columnist with the NRC Handelsblad newspaper, she makes frequent appearances on radio and TV. In 2007 she debuted as a novelist with Maak jezelf maar klaar (Go Get Yourself Off), in which one of the characters from Harry Mulisch's The Discovery of Heaven figures as a main character. Etty obtained her Ph.D. with distinction from Utrecht University with a biography of Henriëtte Roland Holst, Liefde is heel het leven niet (Love Is Not All of Life, 1996). Her newspaper columns appeared in four different books. Her reviews were compiled in Dames gaan voor - Van Hella Haasse to Connie Palmen (Ladies First: From Hella Haasse to Connie Palmen, 1999). Etty is a special lecturer in Literary Criticism at the Free University in Amsterdam, and is now at work on a biography of the late Dutch poet and songwriter Willem Wilmink.

(South Africa, 1954) debuted with a juvenile novel (Matoli), using a farm setting as a microcosm of South Africa’s racial tensions in 1978. His first international breakthrough was the novel Ancestral Voices, which was published in ten languages. It won all the major literary awards in South Africa, and established Van Heerden as the leading novelist of his generation. He went on to publish the novels Casspirs and Camparis, Leap Year and Kikuyu, followed with his major novel The Long Silence of Mario Salviati. Van Heerden also wrote and staged satirical cabarets in the Dutch and German tradition, which was a very effective method of protest during the difficult eighties. Van Heerden teaches at the University of Cape Town, where he is Professor in the School of Languages and Literatures, and chairs the Afrikaans and Dutch Studies Section. He regularly reads his fiction at events such as the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, the Winter Nights Festival in The Netherlands, the Time of the Writer Festival in Germany, the Zimbabwe Book Fair and other festivals and events internationally. For his most recent novel, 30 Nagte in Amsterdam, in 2010 he received the Hertzog Award, the most important literary award for Afrikaans literature.

(Morocco, 1958) in 2013 won  the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle for his collection of short stories The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers. Since his debut in 1996 humor has been his weapon against intolerance, both in his novels and in his other work. In his fiction, such as the collection of short stories Poldermarokkanen (2010), the novels Une année chez les Français (2011) and La femme la plus riche de Yorkshire (2011), Laroui describes time and again the collision between North African culture and Western culture. Laroui grew up in Casablanca and studied econometry, mathematics, physics and architecture in Paris. He lectures French literature and Arab culture at the University of Amsterdam.

(Marken, 1958-2009) was a poet, a writer and a commentator, with a regular column on the Forum page and the book pages of the Volkskrant. Zeeman was the editor of the arts section of the Volkskrant and from 2006-2007 its Rome correspondent. In 2006 he and the writer Abdelkader Benali published an exchange of letters, exchanging ideas on politics, life, love and literature. In 2002 Zeeman received the Gouden Ganzenveer (Golden Goose Quill) for his merits for Dutch literature. Zeeman became well-known in the 1990s as the host of his monthly book programme 'Late at night after a short walk', later to be renamed 'Zeeman with books'. In 1991 he published his first volume of poetry, Beeldenstorm (Iconoclasm), winning him the C. Buddingh Prize. His second volume Verhoudingen (Relationships) appeared in 1995. In the same year he published short stories entitled De Verduistering (The Darkening). He died in 2009.

(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.

(Pematang Siantar, 1929 - Leiden, 2010) came to the Netherlands in 1946. In 1951 he published his first collection of poems Tien variaties op het bestiale (Ten variations on bestiality). He has a varied oevre to his name, consisting of many essay collections concerned with diverse subjects. One of which was Het Oostindisch kampsyndroom. Terug naar Negri Pan Erkoms (1995) (The East-Indies Camp syndrome. Back to country of origin), about our colonial past. It offers a refreshing insight on the how and the why of Kousbroek's unique vision of the colonial past. As part of a 400 years Netherlands-Japan relationship Kousbroek, together with film-maker Hans Keller, made the royal journey again. This resulted in an unparalleled journey through time, full of revelations and discoveries. The book In de tijdmachine door Japan (In the time machine through Japan) (2000) forms the background of the film that Hans Keller made for the VPRO. Kousbroek died in 2010.

(Dokkum, the Netherlands, 1967) who used to call himself The Man of Language, is a performing poet, anthologist and host. His poetry has taken him from stages all over Holland to the far corners of Europe - Albania, among others. His voice is unique within Dutch poetry, combining clarity and wit with metaphysical aspirations. His work is available in the collection Aan het eind van het begin (At the End of the Beginning, 2001) and Zoekmachines (Search Engines, 2002). In January 2006, his collection Klein Oera Linda (Oera Linda Minor) appeared, a collection in experimental lay-out reflecting contemporary society and culture.
Van Gogh has been very active the last couple of years, all over the world: in 2003 he contributed to the Taipei International Poetry Festival in Taiwan, Dichter aan Huis in The Hague and the Stockholms Poesifestival. 2004 saw him performing in Milan and Biddinghuizen (Lowlands Festival). He presented at the Rotterdam Poetry International and performed in Germany. For Yo! Opera Festival he wrote two libretti for so-called ‘Bus Opera’s’, as well as an ode to water..

(Curaçao, 1950) is a poet and a literary performer. He studied philosophy and theology in Colombia and The Netherlands. In Utrecht he finished his studies at the Academy of Expression, and became a tutor of dramatic expression. He lives on Curaçao, where he is very active in street theatre, especially with the group Grupo di Teatro Foro of which he was the artistic leader during the seventies and eighties. He produced and presented cultural television programs and trained and became an expert in the field of oral literature and written rhythmic poetry. Bacilio writes about the colonial past, the Indians, the slaves and the dominant and confusing position of the Dutch. But there is also tenderness and eroticism in his work. His poems have been published in various collections and magazines. In 2000 his collection of poems Kueru Marká was published.

(Java, Indonesia, 1941) isn't only is a famous poet, he's also a journalist, essayist, editor and columnist. Mohamad contributed to the creation of the Indonesian language, Bahasa Indonesia. He took part in the struggle against Suharto's regime in many ways. He founded the succesful critical literary magazine Tempo, which was banned twice by the government. In 1995 Mohamad initiated the Institute for the Study of Free Information Flow. After Suharto's resignation in 1998, Tempo started publishing again. Mohamad has received various international awards for his readiness to resist. Several of his poetry collections were republished around his 70th birthday. His most recent collections are Don Quixote (2011) and 70 Puisi (70 Poems). In 1995, Mohamad was one of the participants of the first Winternachten festival, and has since returned to The Hague several times for the same purpose.

(Vlaardingen, NL, 1946) is a lawyer and writer. After a series of books on Dutch and world history he made his 1991 breakthrough with Hoe God verdween uit Jorwerd (How God Disappeared from Jorwerd), about the demise of European peasant culture. Eight years later he published De eeuw van mijn vader (My Father's Era), a 20th-century history of the Netherlands, partly based on his own family history. In 1999 Mak travelled across Europe, writing short daily reports for NRC Handelsblad newspaper. These travels formed the basis for his international best-seller In Europe, which was made into a 35-part TV series; a theatrical interpretation runs at the NTGent theatre until April 2016. In 2013's Reizen zonder John (In America: Travels with John Steinbeck), Mak follows in the late author's footprints to look for remaining bonds between Europe and the US. Mak was an acclaimed journalist, lecturer in constitutional and immigration law, and professor of urban issues. In 2015 he won the Golden Quill award for his engagement with national and international history and current events.

(Belgium, 1947) is a writer and translator. Formerly he was also a journalist and newsreader with the Flemish television journal. He became well known as the author of well-documented books about Belgium and Brussels. In 1989's Het Belgisch labyrint (The Belgian Labyrinth), he analyzes his country of birth with passion and erudition. Mijn Nederland (My Netherlands) appeared in 2005, a response to the request to explain Holland to the desperate Dutch. With 1991's Verhalen van het Heggeland (Stories from Heggeland), but even more so with 1997's Altrapsodie, he made his name as a novelist. In his poetry, he breaks with a society losing itself in "disastrous modernization." In various debates he's stated his belief in a Greater Netherlands, a Benelux, in which the German, French and Dutch languages and cultures would enrich one another. In 2007 his daughter Judith Vanistendael published the graphic novel De maagd en de neger (The Virgin and the Negro), based on a short story of her father's about the love between and economics student and a political refugee from Togo. His collection Het was wat (That Was Something) has been nominated for the 2016 VSB Poetry Prize.

(1960) was born and raised in Jakarta. His family history - with Arab, Pakistani and Betawi ancestors - reflects the cosmopolitan character of the city of his birth. He studied Russian and American Studies at the Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta. At the moment he teaches at the department of Russian at the Universitas Indonesia. His poetic genius was established with his volume of poems Dari Batavia sampai Jakarta, 1619-1999 for which he received the prize for the best Indonesian volume of poetry 1998-2000’. Other publications are Manusia, Mitos, dan Mitologi (1998), Pintu, Etalase, Batavia Centrum (collected poetry, 1998), and Konflik Nilai dalam Sejarah Perkembangan Sastra Rusia.

(The Netherlands, 1941) is a satirist and writer. Already in his school days he formed a cabaret duo with Wim de Bie, who died in 2023. They gained great fame, influence and popularity as satirists in The Netherlands, first on the radio and, as of 1965, on TV. From the mid-1960s onward, Van Kooten published works such as Treitertrends, short satirical pieces in the Haagse Post, and bestselling short-story collections. The successful collections Modermismen and Meer modermismen followed in the 1980s. In 1998, Van Kooten stopped appearing on television. His children's book Het Schaampaard (The Shameless Horse) was published in 1999. The anthologies Karrevrachten pennevruchten (2017) and Sterk verdund (2018) are describe as "witty and pointed, with an insane pleasure in language, touching and awkward in doses, but above all, irresistibly funny."

(1959, Surinam) left for the Netherlands to educate and develop herself. There she attended secondary school and followed that with higher vocational education. In 1982 Simons returned to Surinam. Here she began to write for the magazine De Tweede Ronde (The second round), the newspaper De Ware Tijd (The real time) and various other papers. In her story In naam van God en Obia (In name of God and Obia) Simons sketches in a beautiful, clear manner, a family drama. She received for this book in 2002 the Kwakoe Literature prize. This prize is actually connected to the similarely named multi-cultural Kwakoe festival in the Netherlands. She made her debut in December 2003 with the collection of stories Carrousel (Roundabout), published by the Surinamese publishers Okopipi. Marylin writes about ordinairy people of Surinam. People that she comes across on the street, in bus 9, along Paramaribo's Waterside, on the plantation and in the waiting rooms of hospitals. 'It's the ordinairy people', says Marylin, 'that provide the ingredients for an unusual story'.
WIN 2004

(Aruba, 1955) studied political science and law at the University of Amsterdam. In 1980 his poem E Dia di Mañan appeared, followed by many publications such as the poetry collection Politico (1990), Illucion Optico (1995) and the poem Ser Nihilo (1998). His collection of poems Destino appeared in 2000. In 2001 his first short story, Un Pasco Tristo, was published. Another poetry collection, Gerede Twijfels (Certain Doubts), appeared in 2002. In 2003 his novel Sentencia sin Proceso appeared. Nicolaas - who sees himself first and foremost as an Aruban writer - is chairman of the board of the Antillean and Aruban literary organisation Simia Literario. Since April 2001 he has been attached as a reviewer to the weekly publication Contrast. He mostly comments on novels and poetry collections written by mainly non-indigenous writers.

was born in Ujung Pandang 12 July 1945. Aside from being a novelist, his talents cover the gamut of creative enterprise including painting, essay-writing, music arranging, singing, songwriting, playwriting, stage directing, acting and teaching. He has penned some 100 works, a number of which has been translated and brought to life on stage. These include Sekuntum Melati Buat Rima (1968), Orexas (1980), Untung Surapati (1980) Pingkan dan Matindas (1985) and Di Sebuah Sudut Taman (1999).

(Deventer, NL, 1961) is a writer, performer and theatre producer. Her 2004 breakthrough came with De laatste dichters (The Last Poets), nominated for the Libris Literature Prize. This novel about the lives of four black Americans who became famous as "The Last Poets" was adapted for theatre. We hadden liefde, we hadden wapens (We Had Love, We Had Weapons), Otten's swirling 2016 novel, is about the life of the black citizen's rights activist Robert F. Williams in America, and about taking a stand for the right to be who you are, regardless of the consequences. Een van ons (One of Us, 2020), her novel about lifelong prisoner Luc was performed as a theatre monologue. In her novel Als ik je eenmaal mijn verhaal heb verteld (Once I told you my story, 2024), Anir tries to build a new life ‘outside’ after 12 years of detention. The Blocknotes Foundation, co-founded by Otten in 2020, uses creative writing for empowerment and talent development of people in prison.

(Somalia, 1967) fled her native country and settled in the Netherlands in 1987. First she wanted to become an actress, but now she has made a name for herself as a writer. In her novel Een nagelaten verhaal (A Bequeathed Story (2009), she describes a young woman who, invited by a documentary film maker, returns to her motherland for the first time after 23 years. It turns out to be an emotional journey, as she discovers that the country has been ruined, and little is left of her past. Yasmine Allas has been involved in the public debate in the Netherlands. Her book Ontheemd en toch thuis (Homeless Yet Home, 2006) is a collection of essays on life in the multicultural Netherlands, published in the Volkskrant. She calls a spade a spade and often touches sour spots. To her, religious fanaticism is a divisive element in society and must be battled. Social wrongs have played a role in her work from her debut, Idil, een meisje (Idil, a Girl, 1998), in which she describes the troubled life of a Somali girl and exposes the circumcision of women.

(1948-2010) studied sociology at the University of Amsterdam. After years of being a prominent criminologist, he turned to literature, which he considers to be a small step: 'Writers are criminals', wrote Franke in the newspaper Trouw (2000), referring to the moral freedom that writers permit themselves. In 1992 he made his debut with the novel Weg van loze dromen (Road of idle dreams). For his novel De verbeelding (The imagination) Franke was awarded the Generale Bank Literatuur prize, presently known as the AKO Literatuurprijs. He regularly writes for newspapers literary magazines, including a fortnightly column for the Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant. In 2004 a collection of his columns was published, entitled Waarom vrouwen betere lezers zijn (Why women are better readers). A year earlier he published his extensive novel Wolfstonen (Wolves tones) and in 2004 the collection of ultra-short stories Notulen (Minutes). Franke regularly exchanges the cherished solitude of his study with public appearances. Herman Franke died in 2010.

(Den Helder, 1938) writes plays and stories for both children and adults. In Surinam, her father's native country, she was a member of the writers group Moetete (1968), and was the co-founder of the Doe-theater (Do theater) (1970-1983), which after 1973 has grown into the first professional theater company of Surinam. From time to time she also worked for the Surinam television, for which in 1965 she wrote the scenario Grootvaders klok (Grandfather's clock), which was Surinam's first short television film. After having lived in Surinam for 22 years, Thea Doelwijt returned to the Netherlands (native country of her mother) in 1983, and lives and works here now. Doelwijt has written several books. Her most recent book is O sekoer! Help! (2000), a story about a Surinam boy who, together with his grandmother, has an adventure in France. In 2003 the book En toen en toen en toen (And then and then and then) appeared in Surinam. This consiists of a collection of compositions by children, especially written for Thea Doelwijt during the children's book festival in Paramaribo. In 1998 and 2003 Doelwijt revived in Surinam two popular opera's about the slavery period : De Gouden Koe (The golden cow), which was also performed in the Netherlands, and De Diamanten Du (The diamand Du), which will be on tour in the Netherlands in February 2004.
WIN2003

(1968, Istanbul, Turkey) studied philosophy at the University of Istanbul and specialized in the works of Wittgenstein. In 1991 she moved to the Netherlands. Here Baycili wrote the theatre triptych Reductio ad absurdum. The first part, Doek (Curtain), has been performed as a public reading project by Maatschappij Discordia. Baycili made her debut as a novellist with the novel De Markov-keten (The Markov chain).And also her internet column Kip en ei zonder kop (Chicken and egg without a head) appeared for the magazine Intermediair. In 1999 the satire De nachtmerrie van de allochtoon (The nightmare of the immigrant) appeared, in which she describes in an amusing way how native and non-native Dutch get along with one another.
WIN2002

(Curaçao, 1956) For years was the face of the Antillean community in the Netherlands. He came to the country in 1989 to study and wanted to return afterwards. However, he stayed because of his young family and found a new mission: taking care of the interests of Arubans and Antilleans in the Netherlands. With the Splika foundation he dedicated himself to the promotion of Papiamentu, the language that he also teaches. Subsequently he chaired MAAPP (Movimentu Antiano i Arubano pa Partisipashon Politiko), the platform for the social participation of Antilleans and Arubans in the Netherlands. When he resigned on 1 March 2009 he received the MAAPP award Mi ta yuda, a new medal which will be awarded on Severina's birthday to people who have dedicated themselves to the Antillean and Aruban communities. For some time Severina served on the town council for the Dutch Labour Party in the town of Zoetermeer and now chairs HAAB (The Hague Antillean Aruban Board).

(1954, Iran) is the pen name of Hossein Sadjadi Ghaemmaghami Farahani. Since his debut De Adelaars (The Eagles) in 1993 he has navigated between two worlds, the Netherlands and the country of his birth. Abdolah grew up in a harsh, Islamic region. Since he was twelve he read western literature and caught the scent of freedom. While studying physics in Teheran, he joined a secret leftwing party. In 1980 he published two collections of short stories clandestinely under the name Kader Abdolah. In 1988 he fled Iran and ended up in the Netherlands where he has since published a large body of works consisting of novels, short story collections and collected columns, published under the pen name Mirza in de Volkskrant. In Papegaai vloog over de IJssel (Parrot flew over the IJssel, 2014) four migrant families build a new existence in typically Dutch villages along the river; in Salam Europa (2016) the Shah of Persia travels through Europe late in the 19th century, accompanied by a large following of bickering courtiers.

(Johannesburg, 1974-2005) received in 2001 the Statebonds prize for the best African debut for his first book Thirteen Cents (2000). It is a powerful short novel about the seamy side of Capetown. Despair, uncertainty and survival instinct are the themes in a setting of prostitutes, gangsters and hunger - but including moments of hope and happyness. His second novel The Quiet Violence of Dreams (2003) is about a student that experiences an indentity crisis. In Duiker's work the individual insanity can never be seperated from the improbable country in which his stories take place. The book was translated and published in the Netherlands with the title Het Stille Geweld van Dromen .
WN 2005

(1947-2005) was a painter and writer. He lived in South Africa since he was nine and after his studies in the arts remigrated to Europe. In 2001 Henk van Woerden made an international breakthrough. In that year he received for his book Een mond vol glas (A mouthful of glass) (1998) the prestigious Sunday Times Fiction/ Alan Paton Award, the award for the best book in South Africa. Een mond vol glas, a chronicle about Tsafendas, the murderder of prime minister Verwoerd, is the last section of a triptych about South Africa. His prose debut Moenie kyk nie (Don't look) (1993), which was crowned with the Geertjan Lubberhuizen award, was the first section. The second section was the novel Tikoes (1996). By the end of 2002 Notities van een luchtfietser (Notes from an air cyclist) appeared, in which van Woerden writes about both his imaginary and his real travels. In February 2003 Henk van Woerden received the Frank Kellendonk award. In October 2005 his last novel was published, Ultramarijn. It was awarded the Flemish literary prize the Gouden Uil in 2006.

(Arnhem, NL 1953) had his international breakthrough with The Dinner, a novel that spent weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been published in 37 countries, and has been adapted for stage and screen. The dark story of boys from a good family who murder a drifter mainly addresses the question of how responsible parents are for the misdeeds of their children. Adolescent behaviour was also the theme of Koch's debut novel, Red ons, Maria Montanelli (Save Us, Maria Montanelli, 1989). In Zomerhuis met zwembad (Summer Cottage with Pool, 2011), he again showed how easily successful people can fall from grace. His characters inevitably say or do unexpected things, which is also the case in his short-story collection Korte geschiedenis van het bedrog (A Short History of Deception, 2013). In his latest novel, Geachte heer M. (Dear Mr. M.), he takes aim at Dutch writers. Koch is also a columnist and an actor, as well as the creator of Jiskefet, an absurdist public-television series.

(Hoogeveen, 1939) wrote his PhD thesis in 1984 on the discussion on the slave trade and slavery held in several literary and other texts (ca. 1625-1825). Since 1962 Paasman has been teaching Dutch historical and modern literature at the University of Amsterdam, specialised in the Enlightenment, colonial, post-colonial and migrant literature. He has edited series and magazines in the field of the Enlightenment and East and West Indian literature, particularly Dutch East Indian literature. He was a visiting lecturer at academies and universities in Indonesia, South Africa and Surinam. He is professor emeritus of Colonial and Post Colonial Cultural and Literary History at the University of Amsterdam.

The band Boi Akih represents a musical movement in which diverse styles from such places as India, Africa, Europe and the Moluccan Islands blend with jazz. Singer Monica Akihari and composer guitarist Niels Brouwer characterise the essence of Boi Akih with an ensemble of song and composition. In search of their musical boundaries, they challenge and at the same time complement one another. Akihari sings not only in English but also in her native language: the language of the Moluccan island Haruku. On their latest CD Yalelol, the group uses a duet-form, and in addition to jazz, their are also Indonesian, Indian, European, West African and Arab influences. On the third album Uwa i (2004), Boi Akih was inspried by music from Bangalore, India. The first self-titled CD of Boi Akih appeared in 1997 and the second one, Above the Clouds, Among the Roots, in 2000. De Volkskrant wrote: "Boi Akih is a world-class band. Daring, adventurous and lyrical are the keywords."

(Paramaribo, Surinam, 1948) moved as a teenager, together with her family, to Amsterdam where she attended secondary school and afterwards studied social sciences. Working in mental healthcare provided her with inspiration for her books. At the age of 44 Ellen Ombre made her debut with the much praised book Maalstroom (Maelstrom) (1992). In this collection of short stories she reflects on her early years in the Netherlands. She also wrote Wie goed bedoelt (Who means well) (1996), an autobiographical travel journal, in which she sketches a picture of the triangular slave trading route between Surinam, the Netherlands and Benin. In 2000 she published the novel Valse verlangens (False desires), where she touches on the prejudices between the Surinamese and the Dutch. In 2004 she published Negerjood in Moederland (Negro-jew in the motherland). Ombre is a member of the international advice committee of the Prins Claus Fund. In 2005 she returned to Surinam.

(1942) was co-founder and treasurer of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development. He studied sociology at the University of Amsterdam and in the United States where he took his Ph.D. in the Columbia University. In 1972 he ruturned to The Netherlands and worked for the section Non-Western Agricultural Sociology of the University Wageningen. From 1989 to 1993 he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the department development cooperation. Box was director of the European Centre for Development Policy Management from 1993 to 2000. In 2000 he became professor of International cooperation at the University of Maastricht, and in 2005 he succeeded professor Opschoor as rector of the Institute of Social Studies.

(Netherlands, 1968) is a classicist and writer. He has more than 40 titles to his name, including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, scientific studies, translations and anthologies. His work has earned many nominations and prizes, including the 2014 Libris Literature Prize for his novel La Superba, an ode to the city of Genoa, where he lives and works. In 2016 he published Brieven uit Genua (Letters from Genoa), an autobiography in letter format and the counterpart to La Superba, which also discusses the publication of the novel. Grand Hotel Europa (2018), a book about love in times of mass tourism, nostalgia, European identity, and a part of the world that has become a museum, was nominated for the 2019 Libris Literature Prize and translated into 10 languages. Pfeijffer never eschews debate, expressing himself in essays, columns and TV programs.

(Beiroet, Libanon) studied French Literature at the American University of Beirut. In 1979 she moved to London to study sculpture. Since then she works as a sculptor, writer and publisher. In 1998 she published a collection of short sturies titled Leaving Beirut, Women and the Wars Within. She describes her youth and the civil war in her native country. WIN 2002

(Suriname, 1936) made her writer's debut with Hoe duur was de suiker? (How Costly Was the Sugar?, 1987), the novel that made her the most famous Surinamese writer overnight and was adapted for film in 2013. She was the first to describe the history, the slaving past and the colonization of her country from a Surinamese perspective. As an expert in the field, she lectures about the history of slavery at US and Canadian universities and organizes educational field and city trips. She has written historic novels, including De Vrije Negerin Elisabeth, gevangene van kleur (The Free Negress Elizabeth, Prisoner of Colour, 1992), as well as studies, children's books and children's musicals. Her No kwik in het bos (No Mercury in the Forest, 2017) is a YA novel about a ten-year-old girl and the dangers of mercury in the gold-mining process. McLeod is a daughter of Johan Ferrier, the first president of Suriname.

(1963-2015) was the author of novels such as Gimmick!, Vals licht (*Fake Light), De Buitenvrouw (± The other woman) and Chaos en Rumoer (Chaos and Noise). With Marcel Möring, Connie Palmen, Ronald Giphart and Arnon Grunberg, he was among the best read authors of his generation. Joost Zwagerman wrote for Vrij Nederland’s ‘Republic of Letters’ and was a columnist for de Volkskrant.

(1955 ) studied (American) history and international relations. In his new book The Spiegel van Amerika (‘The Mirror of America’), he examines - with Hans Veldman – the current state of the American society. It's the America the new president will be dealing with after the elections. An America that seems to have changed. It's no longer the land of unlimited possibilities, and that doesn't sit well with the averge American citizen. Post has long been an esteemed expert on America and has often appeared in Dutch media to share his expertise. His main interest lies with the tensions and problems surrounding the civel rights in the Southern States of America. For his books he, amongst others, spoke to Orval Faubus, the governor that denied nine black students entry to their high school in Little Rock in 1957 and pastor Billy Kyles, a current civel rights leader, who was standig next to Martin Luther King when he was shot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis in 1968.

(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.