Out of the bottomless foundations of this charnel kingdom

Poets Hans Verhagen, Maria Barnas, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer and Frank Koenegracht read from their recent work. Presented by Ruben van Gogh. Dutch spoken.

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Information

Date and time Saturday 21 January 2006 21:35 tot 22:01 uur
Location Filmhuis - zaal 5

"Uit de bodemloze fundamenten van dit knekelrijk
rijst een nieuwe schijnwereld,
ontplooit zich leven à la opblaasboot."

(out of the bottomless/ foundations of this/charnel kingdom/rises a new fake world/life unfolds/like a rubber dinghy). Thus according to Hans Verhagen in his collection of poems Eeuwige Vlam (Eternal flame). Hans Verhagen and the poets Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer and Frank Koenegracht will read from their recent work. Later this evening, this time with Gerrit Komrij, they will return with a satirical poem, written as an assignment for Winternachten. Dutch spoken.

Frank Koenegracht

(Rotterdam, 1945) is a psychiatrist in Leiden. In 1970, acting on advice from Lucebert, he sent several poems to the publishing house De Bezige Bij. One year later he made his debut with the collection of poems Een gekke tweepersoonswesp (A crazy twin wasp). A few years later, in 1976, his second collection, entitled Camping De Vrijheid (Camping Freedom) was published. In 2003 appeared Vroege sneeuw (Early snow), a collection which includes a selection from his earlier works. Koenegracht was awarded twice for his complete oevre: in 1990 he received the Anna Blaman Prize, and in 2001 the Frans Erens Prize. In his poetry he resists again and again the established order. Since his debut he continues to show his disgust of the middle classes. Although a little bizarre, his poems remain yet familiar, maybe because delusion and reality often cross one another. The motto of his recent collection of poems is " Frank Koenegracht's world is not a happy one, however there is a lot to laugh about".
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Maria Barnas

(Hoorn, NL, 1973) is a writer, poet, and visual artist. Both her writing and art explore how depictions of reality are shaped and distorted. In 2014 she won the Anna Bijns Prize for Jaja de oerknal (Yaya the Big Bang, 2013). The jury praised the "linguistic universe" of this third collection: "Barnas uses poetry as a way to throw a canvas of words over everything. Each poem is an attempt to capture something ethereal, to preserve, to document." Barnas studied at Amsterdam's Rietveld Academy and Rijks Academy. Her 2003 poetry debut Twee zonnen (Two Suns) won the C. Buddingh Prize in 2004. This was followed by the 2009 J.C. Bloem Prize for Er staat een stad op (A City Stands On It, 2007). Barnas also writes about art and literature for De Groene Amsterdammer and Vrij Nederland magazines, among others. Her NRC Handelsblad newspaper columns from 2007 to 2010 are anthologized in Fantastisch (Fantastic). She also published two novels, Engelen van ijs (Ice Angels, 2007) and De baadster (The Bather, 2000).


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Hans Verhagen

(Vlissingen, 1939) is a poet, journalist, programme maker and painter. He followed a musical and journalistic training and has worked since the age of seventien as a journalist for the daily and weekly press. From 1962 until 1966 he was editor of the magazines Gard Sivik and De Nieuwe Stijl. Not only is he well known as a writer, he also earned a reputation for his film and television programmes, such as 'Hoepla' (Whoops) en 'Het gat van Nederland' (the Dutch hole). In 1961 he made his debut with the collection of poems Anatomie van een Noorman (Anatomy of a Norseman), which he published on his own. Two years later his second collection Rozen & motoren (Roses & engines) was published by a recognized publisher. In 1968 appeared Sterren cirkels bellen (Stars circles bells) and in 1971 Duizenden zonsondergangen (Thousands of sunsets), which reveals Verhagen's capabilities as a romantic poet. Recently his latest work was published, entitled Moeder is een rover (Mother is a robber). For some years now he has been working as a succesful visual artist.
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Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer

(Netherlands, 1968) is a classicist and writer. He has more than 40 titles to his name, including poetry, novels, short stories, plays, scientific studies, translations and anthologies. His work has earned many nominations and prizes, including the 2014 Libris Literature Prize for his novel La Superba, an ode to the city of Genoa, where he lives and works. In 2016 he published Brieven uit Genua (Letters from Genoa), an autobiography in letter format and the counterpart to La Superba, which also discusses the publication of the novel. Grand Hotel Europa (2018), a book about love in times of mass tourism, nostalgia, European identity, and a part of the world that has become a museum, was nominated for the 2019 Libris Literature Prize and translated into 10 languages. Pfeijffer never eschews debate, expressing himself in essays, columns and TV programs.
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Ruben van Gogh

(Dokkum, the Netherlands, 1967) who used to call himself The Man of Language, is a performing poet, anthologist and host. His poetry has taken him from stages all over Holland to the far corners of Europe - Albania, among others. His voice is unique within Dutch poetry, combining clarity and wit with metaphysical aspirations. His work is available in the collection Aan het eind van het begin (At the End of the Beginning, 2001) and Zoekmachines (Search Engines, 2002). In January 2006, his collection Klein Oera Linda (Oera Linda Minor) appeared, a collection in experimental lay-out reflecting contemporary society and culture.
Van Gogh has been very active the last couple of years, all over the world: in 2003 he contributed to the Taipei International Poetry Festival in Taiwan, Dichter aan Huis in The Hague and the Stockholms Poesifestival. 2004 saw him performing in Milan and Biddinghuizen (Lowlands Festival). He presented at the Rotterdam Poetry International and performed in Germany. For Yo! Opera Festival he wrote two libretti for so-called ‘Bus Opera’s’, as well as an ode to water..

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