(Vienna, 1954) is a philosopher and writer. He considers himself a born storyteller, and the philosophical aspect in his work is clearly present. From an early age he became fascinated with Hegel, although he radically turned Hegel's most important philosophyon its head: mankind does not develop towards a peak, on the contrary, it removes itself from it. According to Menasse, birth is the peak and what follows is merely a slow death. Robert Menasse studied literature and philosophy, after that he taught literature at the university of Saõ Paulo for seven years. Since 1988 Menasse is a fulltime writer. He writes novels, essays and, together with his wife and daughter, children's books. He is also a translator of Portugese into German. Menasse's books, translated into Dutch are De verdrijving uit de hel (Driven out of hell) and the trilogy Bar Hopeloos; Zalige tijden, breekbare wereld en Kentering (Very hopeless wonderfull times, Fragile world and A turning of the tide). In the book Das Land ohne Eigenschaften (The land without characteristics) from 1992, he analysed, in a razor sharp and controversial way, the mental climate of Austria.

(Marken, 1958-2009) was a poet, a writer and a commentator, with a regular column on the Forum page and the book pages of the Volkskrant. Zeeman was the editor of the arts section of the Volkskrant and from 2006-2007 its Rome correspondent. In 2006 he and the writer Abdelkader Benali published an exchange of letters, exchanging ideas on politics, life, love and literature. In 2002 Zeeman received the Gouden Ganzenveer (Golden Goose Quill) for his merits for Dutch literature. Zeeman became well-known in the 1990s as the host of his monthly book programme 'Late at night after a short walk', later to be renamed 'Zeeman with books'. In 1991 he published his first volume of poetry, Beeldenstorm (Iconoclasm), winning him the C. Buddingh Prize. His second volume Verhoudingen (Relationships) appeared in 1995. In the same year he published short stories entitled De Verduistering (The Darkening). He died in 2009.