(Amsterdam, NL, 1963) studied Dutch language and literature in Amsterdam. He writes reviews, interviews, columns and obituaries, and heads the books section of De Volkskrant newspaper. In 2011 he published Eindelijk Sneeuw (Snow at Last: twelve wintry stories about artists, writers, and books, from Willem Witsen's cityscapes to the tears of Mrs. Dickens). Exerpts from his reviews and interviews were published in the books Langzaam lopen is al verdacht (Walking Slowly is Suspicious, 1999), De ongeneeslijke lezer – een werkboek (The Incurable Reader: a workbook, 2002), Het woord is aan de schrijver (The Writer Has the Floor, 2005), and De Broodschrijver (The Hack, 2006), about Bart Chabot's biography of Herman Brood. In 2012 he published Kreten uit een urn (Cries from an Urn), a lecture on the role of the critic in our time. His text "Naar boven mit Brakman" ("Up With Brakman") accompanied the 2015 unveiling of the Brakman monument in Enschede.

(Surinam, 1967) is an MP for the Dutch socialist party. She used to work as a project manager for the NOS (public broadcasting station) and as a presenter and programme maker for MTNL (Multicultural Television Nederland) and OHM (Dutch Hindu channel). She studied law at the Free University in Amsterdam. In 2002 she received the diversity prize of the city of Amsterdam for her radio programme highlighting the positive aspects of the multicultural society. In 2003 she was recipient of the prize awarded by the public at the Hollandse Nieuwe writers' festival.

(Belgium, 1964) is a highly successful writer of children's books, while also writing essays and novels for adults. She has won many literary prizes and her work has been translated into eighteen languages. After her studies she left for the US where she wrote her first book, which was translated into six languages. Her novel Vallen (1994) was adapted for the screen and translated into eleven languages. In this children's book a mother doesn't mention her father's 'bad' war past to her son. The son however falls under the spell of a neo-Nazi and granddad's history seems to repeat itself. Provoost's novel De Arkvaarders (2001), based on the biblical story of Noah, has been translated into many languages. On the occasion of this book she debated online with among others Toni Morrison and Orhan Pamuk on PEN World Voices in New York, organised by Salman Rushdie, on 'religion and reason'. In 2014 her new novel will be published on the Huguenots who landed at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century.