(Sliedrecht, 1933) grew up in Rotterdam, he studied political and social science in Amsterdam, and wrote poetry in the meantime. His studies resulted in a long term membership of Dutch parliament, and finally in the function of Secretary of State for culture and media. His collection of essays on literature and literary criticism Een stem in je hoofd (A voice in your head) was published in 1989. De balenkraai (Crow of bales, 1967) is about the period in New Guinea where he was sent during his military duty (1962). In these personal chronicles, Nuis observes and describes the world around him with mild irony. He met Breyten Breytenbach during an anti-apartheids manifestation and would later translated his Alles één paard (All one horse, 1989).
WN 1998

(The Netherlands, 1946) grew up in a family with a past in the Dutch East Indies. He draws on these experiences in several of his works such as My Father's War (1995), Repatriated (2002) and in Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen (2023). Van Dis became well known via his literary television programme Here is... Adriaan van Dis (1983-1992). In addition to novels he has written novellas, travelogues, essays and plays. He presented TV documentary series and his podcast Van Dis Ongefilterd. He has received the Constantijn Huygens Award for his entire body of work. Recent publications are the collection Vijf vrolijke verhalen (2021), the novel KliFi, woede in de republiek Nederland (2022) and the essay De kolonie mept terug: over witte arrogantie en voortschrijdend inzicht: een denkoefening en leesreis (2024). During the Writers Unlimited Festival 2026, Van Dis will be the main interview guest on Saturday afternoon, 24 January, following the publication of his new book Alles voor de reis (Everything for the Journey), and on Sunday morning, 25 January, he and interviewer Simon Dikker Hupkes will record a new episode of his podcast series Van Dis Ongefilterd (Van Dis Unfiltered) live with an audience.

Go to website of Adriaan van Dis

Studied Theology at the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. Because of his involvement in the anti-apartheids struggle of the ANC he was convicted to a long imprisonment in 1983. In 1991 he was released. After the apartheids-era he became Nelson Mandela's press officer and chairman of the Prison Committee. From 1997 to 2000 he was South-Africa's ambassador in The Netherlands.

(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.

(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.

Special jazz formation around the South African percussionist Louis Maholo, who lives in London. With Sean Birgin (saxophone), Ernst Glerum (bass) and Frankie Douglas (guitar).

(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.

(Utrecht, 1955) is a translator of South African literature. He translated the works of Etienne van Heerden, Breyten Breytenbach and Antjie Krog. With Adriaan van Dis he compiled O wye en droewe land (Oh, wide and sad country), a collection of 101 poems in Afrikaans.

(Cape town, 1958) is a popular stand-up comedian in South Africa. He performs as a presenter in television and radio shows and in the theatre. Had a lot of success during his Winternachten 1998 performance. He gives a sharp and humorous comment on the situation in his country.

(Belgium, 1958) writes novels, poetry, scenarios, columns and plays. The twelve-hour stage marathon Ten Oorlog (1997), his adaptation in verse of eight plays by Shakespeare, won him international acclaim. He lives and works in Cape Town and Antwerp, where he was the city's poet from 2003-2005. In 1985 he made his debut with Een slagerszoon met een brilletje, which was his instant breakthrough in a Sonja Barend tv show. In 2009 Sprakeloos appeared, about the death of his mother, who lost her capacity to speak owing to a stroke. With his theatre adaptation of this book he performed in Carre in 2012 during the National Book Week. In that year he wrote the national book week present: Heldere Hemel. His latest novel Gelukkige slaven is again typically Lanoye: an ink black tragicomedy with unforgettable characters and dialogues, an ingenious plot and a virtuoso style. At the festival in 2014 Tom Lanoye is recipient of the Constantijn Huygens Prize for his entire oeuvre.