(Antwerp, 1966) studied history of music, violin and chamber music at the conservatories of Brussels and Antwerp. He works as a musician as well as teaches music. He was also the editor of the anthology Turkooizen scheepje van verschil: twaalf jonge Vlaamse dichters (Turquoise little ship of difference: twelve young Flemish poets, 1997), for which he wrote the introduction. As a poet Ghyssaert made his debut with Honingtuin (Honey garden, 1991). This was followed by Cameo (1993), for which he received the poetry award of the Vlaamse Gids and the Lucy B. and C.W. van der Hoogtprijs. After the volumes Sneeuwboekhouding (Snow bookkeeping, 1995), Jubileum en andere gedichten (Jubilee and other poems, 1997) and De zuigeling van Sint-Petersburg (The infant of St. Petersburg, 2001) Ghyssaert attracted the attention of a somewhat larger audience when Kleine lichamen (Small bodies, 2005) was nominated for both the Herman de Coninck Award and the VSB Poetry Award. With his seventh volume Ezelskaakbeen (Donkey's jawbone, 2011) he is again an aspirant laureate fot the latter prize, according to the jury: ‘Ghyssaert dares to stir the emotions, and where it is not intentional, he succeeds in doing so.’

(Sint-Niklaas, 1960) is professor of modern Dutch literature at the University of Liège. He obtained his doctorate in Louvain with a thesis on the work of Paul van Ostaijen, gathered a following being an editor with the literary magazine Yang and was at the inception of Freespace Nieuwzuid. Discursive machine for cultural critique and amusement. After the double anthology Golden Boys with Dirk van Bastelaere, Spinoy published De jagers in de sneeuw (The hunters in the snow) which won him the Flemish Prize for Best Literary Debut. This was followed by Susette, for which he received the Hugues C. Pernath Award and Fratsen (Caprices). After a ten-year silence Spinoy started publishing books of poetry in Boze wolven (Angry wolves),which led to the Prize for Literature of the Flemish Provinces, L, which resulted in the Literary Award of the Province of West-Flanders and Ik, en andere gedichten (I and other poems). Spinoy's seventh book of poetry, Dode kamer (Dead room, Bezige Bij Antwerpen, 2011), was nominated for the VSB poetry award, owing to its uniform high quality’.

(Amsterdam, 1951) writes poems, prose, plays, reviews and essays. The Constantijn Huygens Prize for his entire oeuvre is only one of many awards for his work, which, in translation, has reached readers in Italy, France, Germany and Sweden. Otten knows how to touch upon socially sensitive issues, like pornography in his essay Denken is een lust (Thinking is a lust, 1985), euthanasia in the novel Ons mankeert niets, (We're all right, 1994) and catholicism in his pamphlet Het wonder van de losse olifanten (The miracle of the loose elephants, 1999). He made his poetic debut with Een zwaluw vol zaagsel (A swallow stuffed with sawdust, 1973), which won him the Reina Prinsen Geerligs Prize. For the collection Ik zoek het hier (I seek it here, 1980) he received the Herman Gorter Award, for Paviljoenen (Pavillions, 1992) the Jan Campert Award, while the collection Eindaugustuswind (End of August wind, 1998) earned him a nomination for the VSB Poetry Award. He was again nominated for that prize with his eleventh anthology, Gerichte gedichten (Targeted Poems) as it raises issues such as 'loss, emptiness and inescapable existential questions'.

(Delfzijl, NL, 1958) studied at the Akademie voor Expressie in Utrecht. With illustrator Geerten ten Bosch she created the children's book De dame en de neushoorn (The Lady and the Rhino, 1989), followed by her second children's book Verse Bekken! (Fresh Snouts) and poetic debut Het veerde (Something Bounced). She has also written prose, such as Ongekuiste versies (Unclear Versions) and Harrie's hoofdingang (Harrie's Main Entrance), and plays such as Struisvogels op de Coolsingel (Ostriches on the Coolsingel, 2005). She received the Anna Blaman Prize for her oeuvre. Vegter also published poetry: Aandelen en obligaties (Shares and Bonds, 2002) and Spamfighter (2007). From 2013 to 2017 she was the Dutch Poet Laureate; the work she created during that time is collected in Wat helpt is een wonder (What Helps is a Miracle, 2017). In spring of the same year, she published the joint poetry collection Ik hier jij daar (Me Here You There) with the Palestinian-Syrian poet Ghayath Almadhoun.

(Antwerp, 1969) taught neuropsychology at institutes in the United States and New Zealand. Right now he teaches at the Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences in Fukuoka, Japan. He is editor of the literary magazine DWB. He made his debut witht Nagelaten sonnetten (Posthumous sonnets, Manteau, 1999), which was nominated for the C. Buddingh' Prize. It was followed by Blanke verzen (Blank verse), Buigzaamheden (Pliabilities), which was awarded the Hugues C. Pernath Prize, Tegenvoetig, tweebenig (Anti-podal, Two-legged), Anophelia! De mug leeft (Anophelia! The ant's alive) and Vloeistof en welvaart (Liquid and Welfare). With respectively Leo Vroman and Arnoud van Adrichem Lauwereyns made the collections of poetry Zwelgen wij denkend rond (Revelling while thinking) and Stemvork (Tuning fork). In addition he wrote the novel Monkey business. Splash, nominated for the Flemish Culture Prize (Splash. Lyric suite on biology, ritual and poetry), and the Poems' Day essay De smaak van het geluid van het hart (The taste of the sound of the heart). Lauwereyns' collection Hemelsblauw (Heavenly blue, Bezige Bij, 2011) deserves a VSB nomination due to the ‘passion and commitment with the world and its peculiarities’.

(1976, Nijmegen) is a journalist and presenter. She has worked for television and radio programmes of NTR, VPRO, the Dutch World Service and Radio West. In addition to her work in broadcasting Nicole hosts and leads varying meetings: from debates and congresses to literary festivals and other cultural events. She completed three studies: Journalism at the Hogeschool van Utrecht, Religion and the Philosophy of Life at the Free University in Amsterdam and a Master's Degree in Journalism in a Crossmedial News Surroundings at the Media Academie.