Writers Unlimited is not the only one celebrating an anniversary: Het Zwarte Schaap, The Hague's spoken word and spoken literature platform is celebrating its fifth anniversary: a safe meeting place and community for writers and their stories.

Het Zwarte Schaap opens the Saturday Night Unlimited programme in Zaal 2 of Theater aan het Spui with a special festival line-up. Performing in What Fuels Your Fire? are philosopher and spoken word artist Lev Avitan, writer and poet Rosabelle Illes and young spoken word talent Kylie Lyandra. Their readings will be musically accompanied on piano by Djuwa Mroivili. In conversation with moderator Sophia Blyden, they answer what drives them to take the stage again and again, to constantly seek out people who listen to their words.

Rosabelle Illes, writer and spoken word artist from Aruba, tries to grasp the intangible and incomprehensible in her work. In her readings, she occasionally collaborates with musicians.

Djuwa Mroivili is a Comorian-Dutch multidisciplinary artist. Although trained as a classical pianist, she also experiments with other formats of performance in which music plays a role.

Lev Avitan is a word artist, philosopher and theatre maker. His work is characterised by vulnerable self-reflection and social engagement. His spoken word film Mijn moeder wil niet meer leven (My mother doesn't want to live anymore, 2024) can be seen on NPO START. With Nabil Tkhidousset, he played 7sheb 3lik, a stage performance on fatherhood and trauma transmission, in autumn 2024. Spring 2025, he will publish a poetic philosophy book.

Kylie Lyandra is a young spoken word artist and medical student who uses her words to discuss important issues. She finds comfort and strength in writing and its vulnerability. In 2022, she will start her spoken word journey. From her depression and love to growing up as a black girl, she brings it to the stage.

Sophia Blyden, moderator of What Fuels Your Fire?, is a poet, programme maker and studied Modern Dutch Literature in Leiden. In her prose and poetry, she explores themes such as loneliness, power relations and the boundary between fact and fiction. She also likes to be inspired by fairy tales, myths and pop culture. Her debut collection Dobberen was published in 2024.

Het Zwarte Schaap: What Fuels Your Fire? is curated for Writers Unlimited Festival 2025 by Daniëlle Zawadi.

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