(Morocco, 1958) in 2013 won  the Prix Goncourt de la Nouvelle for his collection of short stories The Curious Case of Dassoukine's Trousers. Since his debut in 1996 humor has been his weapon against intolerance, both in his novels and in his other work. In his fiction, such as the collection of short stories Poldermarokkanen (2010), the novels Une année chez les Français (2011) and La femme la plus riche de Yorkshire (2011), Laroui describes time and again the collision between North African culture and Western culture. Laroui grew up in Casablanca and studied econometry, mathematics, physics and architecture in Paris. He lectures French literature and Arab culture at the University of Amsterdam.

(The Netherlands, 1955) is always exploring the boundaries between fact and fiction. She shot to fame with her first novel De wetten (The Laws, 1991). Her two subsequent novels, De vriendschap (Friendship, 1995) and I.M. (1998), also became bestsellers. She went on to publish Geheel de uwe (Sincerely Yours, 2004), Lucifer (2007) and Logboek van een onbarmhartig jaar (Logbook of a Merciless Year, 2011). Palmen has written several collections of essays, such as Een kleine filosofie van de moord (A Brief Philosophy of Murder, 2004), Het geluk van de eenzaamheid (The Joy of Loneliness, 2009) and Het drama van de afhankelijkheid (The Drama of Dependence, 2017). Many of her novels are based on events in her own life; her essays are exceptionally narrative. In 2023, she published Voornamelijk vrouwen (Mainly Women), personal essays about eleven women and one man who shape their lives in idiosyncratic ways. Palmen engages with them, challenges them, and discovers differences and similarities with her own life. Her multi-award-winning work is also internationally successful and has been translated into twenty languages.

is the name of a group of young theatremakers founded by Lykele Muus and Wouter Zweers. Their performance Wij Vieren (The four of us; Fringe festival 2011) was the first step in a long walk past theatre, film, musical and cabaret: accessible high quality stage art. Audiences always have to know what they're watching and be able to recognize themselves in the characters. The material - which they write themselves for the most part - is based on their own fears and desires. In each production they wonder first and foremost: what dreams do we ourselves dream? What are our fears? The answer to those questions forms the starting-point of the shows. In addition HartenJagers monthly organises the try-out stage Mondov for new and/or selfmade material by young stage artists in the Compagnietheater in Amsterdam. During the festival the short piece Hartstuk is played by Daniel Cornelissen and Simon Heijmans.

(Egypt, 1957) grew up in Egypt, where he studied economics. In 1978 he left for the Netherlands and did drama school in Amsterdam. In 1984 he had his first theatre role and two years later played with the Ro Theater and Toneelgroep Amsterdam. From early on he has combined the stage with parts in films and tv series such as Pleidooi and Spangen. In 2007 he became the artistic leader of theatre group De Nieuw Amsterdam. There he made the five-part series Pax Islamica, about the five pillars of Islam: confession, ritual prayer, alms-giving, ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca. The texts were written by Mustafa Stitou, among others. Then followed Pax Hominis, written by Arnon Grunberg, and the coming months he plays Pax Deus, the gospel according to Pilate, based on the book by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. In 2011 El Hamus was a regular guest in the Pauw en Witteman news show, reporting on the revolution in his native Egypt.