(Belgium, 1955) writes widely on wide-ranging topics, from poetry about her late husband Herman de Coninck in Taal zonder mij (Language without Me, 1998) to the struggle of an anorexia patient in her book Ann (2008). The human condition is always central to her extensive oeuvre. Her work also pays a noticeable amount of attention to the female sexual experience. In her novel De waar gebeurde geschiedenis van Victor en Clara Rooze (The True History of Victor and Clara Rooze), Hemmerechts plays with fact and fiction: a writer with writer's block tackles a story of incest to give free reign to her thoughts about writing and literature. Haar Bloed (Her Blood) appeared in 2012, for which she spent time in a hematology ward. In 2014 she caused an uproar with De vrouw die de honden eten gaf (The Woman Who Fed the Dogs), a novel inspired by the Dutroux case. Her latest novel Alles verandert (Everything Changes) closely follows the plot of J.M. Coetzee's In Ongenade (Disgrace), but with a female protagonist. How much does the gender of literary characters determine our view of their actions?

(Hulshorst, NL, 1951) received the Anne Vondeling Award for political journalism in 2008, owing to her sharp analyses of social problems. She is a journalist in the widest sense of the word. Besides being an editor and columnist with the NRC Handelsblad newspaper, she makes frequent appearances on radio and TV. In 2007 she debuted as a novelist with Maak jezelf maar klaar (Go Get Yourself Off), in which one of the characters from Harry Mulisch's The Discovery of Heaven figures as a main character. Etty obtained her Ph.D. with distinction from Utrecht University with a biography of Henriëtte Roland Holst, Liefde is heel het leven niet (Love Is Not All of Life, 1996). Her newspaper columns appeared in four different books. Her reviews were compiled in Dames gaan voor - Van Hella Haasse to Connie Palmen (Ladies First: From Hella Haasse to Connie Palmen, 1999). Etty is a special lecturer in Literary Criticism at the Free University in Amsterdam, and is now at work on a biography of the late Dutch poet and songwriter Willem Wilmink.

(Somalia, 1967) fled her native country and settled in the Netherlands in 1987. First she wanted to become an actress, but now she has made a name for herself as a writer. In her novel Een nagelaten verhaal (A Bequeathed Story (2009), she describes a young woman who, invited by a documentary film maker, returns to her motherland for the first time after 23 years. It turns out to be an emotional journey, as she discovers that the country has been ruined, and little is left of her past. Yasmine Allas has been involved in the public debate in the Netherlands. Her book Ontheemd en toch thuis (Homeless Yet Home, 2006) is a collection of essays on life in the multicultural Netherlands, published in the Volkskrant. She calls a spade a spade and often touches sour spots. To her, religious fanaticism is a divisive element in society and must be battled. Social wrongs have played a role in her work from her debut, Idil, een meisje (Idil, a Girl, 1998), in which she describes the troubled life of a Somali girl and exposes the circumcision of women.

(Eindhoven, NL 1955) after his study at the Rietveld Academie worked as an illustrator and graphic designer. In 1986 he published his first children's book, Raafs Reizend Theater (The Raven's Travelling Treatre), and a collection of poetry, Van Verdriet kun je grappige hoedjes vouwen (You Can Fold Funny Hats with Sorrow). His third book of poetry, Och, ik elleboog me er weer doorheen (Oh, I'll Elbow My Way Through It, 1989) came in second in the annual prize for author of best children's book, and Begin een torentje van niks (Start an Insignificant Little Tower, 1995) was awarded the annual first prize for best children's book. In 1996 this was followed by a Zilveren Zoen voor Gebr. (Bros.) which also won him the German Children's Literature Prize. In 2000 he published the songs he wrote for the popular children's tv programme Het klokhuis. Van Lieshout made visual books for children in the Rijksmuseum and wrote songs for Jenny Arean and Lenette van Dongen, among others. His picture book Koekjes! (Cookies!, 2009) was number 1 in the CPNB Bestseller Top 60. In the same year Van Lieshout won the Theo Thijssen Prize for his entire oeuvre. In 2012 his first novel for adults, Mijn meneer (My Mister) is based on the relationship he had as a young boy with a grown-up man. In Schuldig kind (Guilty child, 20176), Van Lieshout answers the question he was asked many times: what influence did that relation have on your further life?