Saturday Night Wintercafé

The Wintercafé brings together writers and the public. Host Francis Broekhuijsen and multi-instrumentalist Michalis Cholevas (ney, saz, yayli tanbur) supply the enjoyable atmosphere. Drink, eat, try the poetry-machine of Roos Laan, and stop by the booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop or visit the Cultural Press Centre.

Booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop:
21.00–21.30: Tommy Wieringa
21.45–22.15: Dorit Rabinyan & Bas Heijne
22.15–22.45: Olga Grjasnowa
23.00–23.30: Rodrigo Hasbún & Colson Whitehead

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Information

Date and time Saturday 21 January 2017 21:00 tot 23:45 uur
Location Theater aan het Spui - foyer

The foyer of the Theater aan het Spui is the beating heart of the festival. At the Saturday Night Wintercafé, writers encounter the public and vice versa. Host and festival guide Francis Broekhuijsen guides your way through the program. Together with his guests he creates an inviting, homey atmosphere.

Of course you can just relax and chat in the Wintercafé over a drink and a bite. Music is provided by multi-instrumentalist Michalis Cholevas and by DJ Socrates. You can meet the writers during their signing sessions at the Van Stockum Bookshop. The Cultural Press Centre reports on the proceedings -- stop by and share your impressions of the festival!

Booksigning sessions at Van Stockum Bookshop:
21.00–21.30: Tommy Wieringa
21.45–22.15: Dorit Rabinyan & Bas Heijne
22.15–22.45: Olga Grjasnowa
23.00–23.30: Rodrigo Hasbún & Colson Whitehead

The Poetry Machine by Hague graphic designer Roos Laan can transform your thoughts into a made-to-measure poem. Imagine yourself a true poet via this meeting of man and computer.

The Saturday Night Wintercafé is the place to plan out your evening, either with Francis Broekhuijsen as your guide or all by yourself.

Line-up

Francis Broekhuijsen

(The Netherlands, 1970) is a presenter, producer, actor and voice-over artist specializing in music, literature, arts and culture. After graduating as actor from the Toneelschool Amsterdam he was a member, among others, of the ensemble of the Nationale Toneel. He was a presenter at Amsterdam-based broadcaster AT5 and a radio producer with the KRO on national network NPO Radio 1. He narrates audio books, and was shortlisted for the Storytel Award 2019 for Best Audio Book with his reading of Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer's novel Grand Hotel Europa. Until last year, he presented on radio station Sublime the daily morning show Sublime Sunrise, the Instagram poetry programme Sublime Smooth and evening show The Sublime Experience. In 2025 he wrote and hosted the tv-series Kringlopen met Francis on regional Dutch broadcaster NH. Broekhuijsen works for Writers Unlimited as festival curator and presenter.

Go to the website of Francis Broekhuijsen
Instagram: @francisbroekhuijsen
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DJ Socrates

(UK, 1980), like the philosopher, remains curious about new things. Always pushing boundaries and incorporating fresh music. He approaches each set as a unique road trip with a wide range of styles and countries passing by. His kaleidoscopic sound includes global reggae, trippy cumbia, UK bass, slow rave & African acid. With 20 years of experience under his belt, Socrates has matured like a good wine to celebrate life with. During Writers Unlimited Festival, he will provide a swinging Silent Disco in the foyer of Theater aan het Spui during Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited from 23:15 hours onwards.
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Roos Laan

(1992) is a graphic designer in The Hague, where she graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2014. Her work often features linguistic elements to deliver a message. Samen dichten (Writing Poetry Together), her graduation project, is a poetry machine whereby man and computer can enhance each other. The user types a short story, and the machine makes a poem out of the story's words. The generated poem can again be altered by clicking on words. In this way, a poem is created that neither the specific user nor the computer could have written one their own. If the user is satisfied, he or she can print the poem to take away and share.
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Michalis Cholevas

is a Greek multi-instrumentalist playing Ney, Saz, Yayli Tanbur and its descendant, the Tarhu. His path starts in Athens, Greece where he studied Byzantine, Jazz and Eastern Mediterranean music traditions. At the age of 30 he moved to the Netherlands to follow a Master’s program in Turkish Music at Rotterdam World Music Academy (Codarts, University for the Arts) where he now works as the Head of Studies. Michalis studied with Ömer Erdoğdular, Kudsi Ergüner and Erdal Erzincan. He has collaborated with several artists including the ensemble of Kudsi Ergüner, the composer Angelo Badalamenti, Apollo Musagette Quartet, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, the George Kontrafouris Jazz trio and Louisiana Red. He teaches at Codarts, University for the arts, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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