(Teheran, 1966) in 1983 fled Iran and the regime of Ayatolla Khomeiny. After six years in Kabul, where he studied medicine, he was invited to come to the Netherlands in 1989. He studied criminal law, international law and philosophy at the Catholic University in Tilburg. In June 2003 he obtained his doctorate with research and a thesis on the Truth- and Reconciliation committee in South Africa. He has published two collections of poems: Mensenherfst (Human autumn), in which he illustrates aspects of a culture in exile, and Verrijzenis van woorden (Resurrection of words). He is a columnist for the NRC Handelsblad en regularly writes articles for several newspapers. Since June 1st 2005 he has become professor of Social cohesion, citizenship and multi culture at the faculty of Jurisprudence at the University of Leiden. Alongside his scientific work he is often found at the forefront of the debate about the multi cultural society. This year he published Hoe nog verder? 42 visies over de toekomst, (Where do we go from here? 42 visions of the future), Dialoog met Mohammed (Dialogue with Mohammed) and Brieven van een Pers (Letters from a Persian).

(South Africa, 1952) is a poet, writer, academic and a cherished reciter. Her book Country of My Skull (2000, adapted for film in 2004) is a personal account of the proceedings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She published her autobiographical memoirs as A Change of Tongue (2003). Krog has won many prizes, including the Hertzog prize in South Africa and the 2018 Gouden Ganzenveer in the Netherlands. An anthology of her poetry was published in Dutch in 2010, titled Hoe zeg je dat (How Do You Say That), and Begging to be Black, the sequel to Country of My Skull and A Change of Tongue.

(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.