(Alkmaar, 1957) is a Dutch poet, prose writer, translator and publisher. He studied law. Asscher worked with a literary publisher for many years, lastly as general director of J.M. Meulenhoff. Between 1998 and 2004 he headed the arts department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Now he is general manager of bookshop Athenaeum in Amsterdam. In 1992 Asscher made his debut with the short story anthology Dodeneiland, vier geschiedenissen (Island of the Dead, Four Histories). He published stories, poems, poetry translations, essays, two novellas and a novel (Het uur en de dag, 2005; The Hour and the Day). The rights for his novellas were sold to film producer Rob Houwer. De verstekeling (The Stowaway) was nominated for the Ako literature prize 2000.

(The Hague, 1933) debuted in 1955 with the novel Philip en de anderen (Philip and the Others), a melancholic tale of an adolescent traveller through France. After that, he single-handedly introduced the genre of travel journalism in the Netherlands. His Berlijnse notities (Berlin Notes) was awarded the first Literaturpreis zum 3. Oktober. Rituelen (Rituals) got a lot of attention. Among his other works are (poetry): De doden zoeken een huis (The Dead are Searching for a House); Het zwarte gedicht (The Black Poem); Het gezicht van het oog (The Face of the Eye); (prose): De verliefde gevangene (Prisoner in Love), Een middag in Bruay (An Afternoon in Bruay); Een nacht in Tunesië (A Night in Tunesia); Een ochtend in Bahia (A Bahia Morning); De Parijse beroerte (The Paris Stroke); Een avond in Isfahan (An Evening in Isfahan); Voorbije passages (Past passages); De filosoof zonder ogen (The Philosopher Without Eyes).

(Neerpelt, 1953), a Flemish prose writer, studied psychology in Leuven, Belgium, and journalism in the Netherlands. Her novel Een kamer in Cairo (A Room in Cairo) tells us about her stay in Cairo, and her awareness that she'll never be part of that strange world. In 1985 she made her first journey to the former Belgian colony the Congo. In Terug naar Kongo (Back to the Congo) (1987) she reflects upon her experiences and impressions there. Later she focused on the Middle East and wrote the book De poorten van Damascus (The Gates of Damascus) (1993). In her book Dans van de luipaard (Dance of the Leopard) (2001) she tells about her second stay in the Congo in 1997, a time of unrest and civil war. In her newest book Op de vleugels van de draak (On The Wings of The Dragon), Joris journeys between Africa and China. Lieve Joris is a committed observer and knows like no other how to portray a post-colonial Africa. Her work has been awarded repeatedly, both in Flanders and in France.