Spot on Young Poets

High-school students from Edith Stein College and de Vrije School Den Haag recite their own poetry, the result of workshops and poetry lessons given at the schools by poet and guest teacher Diann van Faassen. Appearing with them is poet Obe Alkema, a nominee for the 2019 C. Buddingh' Prize, as well as young student-poet Mirle Wittekoek, winner of the 2019 Young Campert Award.

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Information

Date and time Friday 17 January 2020 20:10 tot 21:05 uur
Location Theater aan het Spui - foyer

The literary future performs for you! Francis Broekhuijsen presents high-school students from Edith Stein College and de Vrije School Den Haag reciting their own poetry, the result of the Spot on Young Poets workshops and poetry lessons given at the schools by poet and guest teacher Diann van Faassen. Appearing with them is poet Obe Alkema, a nominee for the 2019 C. Buddingh Prize, and Mirle Wittekoek, a participant from last year and winner of the 2019 Young Campert Prize. DJ Socrates takes care of the sounds and beats. One or two finalists for the 2019 Young Campert Prize are chosen during the Spot on Young Poets events on Friday and Saturday. The finalists recite their poems once more on Sunday during the Schrijversfeest (Writers Fest). One of them is chosen by the public and receives the award for best Hague student poet.

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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Obe Alkema

(Netherlands, 1993) is a poet, artist and critic for Dutch national daily newspaper NRC. His work has been published in various Dutch, Flemish and international magazines and platforms. In 2018, his C. Buddingh' Prize-nominated debut collection Obelisque was published, designed as a poetry glossy with alphabetically arranged poems and fashion photographs.
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Rosabelle Illes

(Aruba, 1987) is an artist, writer, and performer. She has authored three collections of poetry and short stories and co-authored the multilingual children’s book Hearty. Her work has been published in international journals, and she has performed at literary festivals worldwide, including Colombia, Taiwan, The Netherlands, and New York City. Rosabelle’s art often explores personal enigmas, with meditation revealing insights that manifest as poetry. She holds a PhD in Psychology from Leiden University and is an assistant professor at the University of Aruba. Her upcoming book, Penmanship (2025), blends her passions for psychology and poetry, celebrating the written word in its purest form. Featuring handwritten pieces, the book sparks a conversation about the scientifically proven benefits of handwriting and showcases how poetry can transcend traditional confines of the page to be heard, seen, and worn.
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