Friday Night Wintercafé

The Wintercafé brings together writers and the public. Host Francis Broekhuijsen and singer-songwriter Dieter van der Westen supply the enjoyable atmosphere. Drink, eat, try the poetry-machine of Roos Laan, and stop by the booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop or visit the Cultural Press Centre.

Booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop:
20.45-21.15: Ian Buruma
21.15–21.45: Mircea Cărtărescu, Tomas Sedlacek and Michel Faber
22.15–22.45: Michaïl Sjisjkin and Hassan Blasim


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Information

Date and time Friday 20 January 2017 21:00 tot 23:45 uur
Location Theater aan het Spui - foyer

The foyer of the Theater aan het Spui is the beating heart of the festival. At the Friday Night Wintercafé, writers encounter the public and vice versa. Host and festival guide Francis Broekhuijsen guides your way through the program. Together with his guests he creates an inviting, homey atmosphere.

Listen to up-and-coming local poetic talent at the Wintercafé during the Spot on Young Poets program from the Hague Poets' Guild. The young poets are accompanied by Marieke Rijneveld, poet and winner of the 2016 C. Buddingh Prize, and British poet and performer Salena Godden. The winner of the Young Campert Prize will also be chosen.

Of course you can just relax and chat in the Wintercafé over a drink and a bite. Music is provided by singer-songwriter Dieter van der Westen and DJ Socrates. You can meet the writers during their signing sessions at the Van Stockum Bookshop. The Cultural Press Centre reports on the proceedings -- stop by and share your impressions of the festival!

Booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop:
20.45-21.15: Ian Buruma
21.15–21.45: Mircea Cărtărescu, Tomas Sedlacek and Michel Faber
22.15–22.45: Michaïl Sjisjkin and Hassan Blasim

The Poetry Machine by Hague graphic designer Roos Laan can transform your thoughts into a made-to-measure poem. Imagine yourself a true poet via this meeting of man and computer.

The Friday Night Wintercafé is the place to plan out your evening, either with Francis Broekhuijsen as your guide or all by yourself.

At the end of the evening, DJ Socrates lowers your thoughts to the level of your dancing shoes as he kicks off the night in true festival tradition and gets you ready for another festival day.

Line-up

Francis Broekhuijsen

(The Netherlands, 1970) is a presenter, producer, actor and voice-over artist specializing in music, literature, arts and culture. After graduating as actor from the Toneelschool Amsterdam he was a member, among others, of the ensemble of the Nationale Toneel. He was a presenter at Amsterdam-based broadcaster AT5 and a radio producer with the KRO on national network NPO Radio 1. He narrates audio books, and was shortlisted for the Storytel Award 2019 for Best Audio Book with his reading of Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer's novel Grand Hotel Europa. Until last year, he presented on radio station Sublime the daily morning show Sublime Sunrise, the Instagram poetry programme Sublime Smooth and evening show The Sublime Experience. In 2025 he wrote and hosted the tv-series Kringlopen met Francis on regional Dutch broadcaster NH. Broekhuijsen works for Writers Unlimited as festival curator and presenter.

Go to the website of Francis Broekhuijsen
Instagram: @francisbroekhuijsen
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Roos Laan

(1992) is a graphic designer in The Hague, where she graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2014. Her work often features linguistic elements to deliver a message. Samen dichten (Writing Poetry Together), her graduation project, is a poetry machine whereby man and computer can enhance each other. The user types a short story, and the machine makes a poem out of the story's words. The generated poem can again be altered by clicking on words. In this way, a poem is created that neither the specific user nor the computer could have written one their own. If the user is satisfied, he or she can print the poem to take away and share.
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Dieter van der Westen

is an Amsterdam based singer songwriter, composer and music producer from The Netherlands active in the field of World and Americana. His second solo album titled Old oak tree was released in the spring of 2016 and includes ten brand new tracks. Inspired by World and Americana musicians and artists, he started ten years ago to write and record his own songs. His first album Save my memories was released in 2008. Dieter uses preferably acoustic instruments in his music. Dieter is also one of the driving forces behind the North African musicgroup KASBA with which he is internationally active in Europe, Africa and South America and with which he had two nr 1 hitsingles in the North African music charts. In the Netherlands Dieter worked with local known artists like Thé Lau, Blof, Paul de Leeuw, Frank Boeijen, Ali B, Eric Vloeimans, Gerard van Maasakkers, Eric Vloeimans, Astrid Nijgh and the Grammy award winning Metropole Orchestra.
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DJ Socrates

(UK, 1980), like the philosopher, remains curious about new things. Always pushing boundaries and incorporating fresh music. He approaches each set as a unique road trip with a wide range of styles and countries passing by. His kaleidoscopic sound includes global reggae, trippy cumbia, UK bass, slow rave & African acid. With 20 years of experience under his belt, Socrates has matured like a good wine to celebrate life with. During Writers Unlimited Festival, he will provide a swinging Silent Disco in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui during Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited from 23:15 hours onwards.
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