Dutch Writing Campaign returns for fourth year

The Dutch Foundation for Literature has announced the New Dutch Writing campaign will return to the UK for the fourth year.  

Launched in 2019 by the Dutch Foundation for Literature & Modern Culture, the project promotes Dutch writing in translation in the UK.. 

Last year, New Dutch Writing (NDW) hosted more than 40 events using a mix of hybrid, in-person and online platforms. Highlights included partnerships with the British Library and European Literature Network, Cheltenham Literature Festival’s "Read the World" programme, Reading is Magic Children’s Festival and Off the Shelf Festival of Words Sheffield as well as a series of online translation workshops.  

“We were delighted to welcome 10 authors, illustrators and translators to our shores in 2021 and look forward to seeing many more in 2022 as international travel becomes easier," said Martin Colthorpe, director of the Modern Culture agency, which works with a wide range of partners in the arts and culture sector. "Digital interactions grew enormously and we look forward to working with festivals and other partners in a more confident hybrid world to introduce as many readers as possible to the exciting new translations of Dutch authors being published in the UK.” 

The campaign will continue to build on a Instagram influencer campaign undertaken last year, working with UK-based Dutch BookTuber and social media expert Sanne Vliegenthart.   

This year’s fiction highlights include the publication of Grand Hotel Europa by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, translated by the International Booker Prize-winning Michele Hutchison, whihc is due to be published on 14th April by Fourth Estate and We Had To Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets, translated by Emma Rault, due on 26th May from Picador, the featured novel for 2021 Dutch Book Week.

Other fiction highlights include the sequel to Two Blankets, Three Sheets, The Leash and the Ball by Rodaan Al Galidi (pictured) , translated by Jonathan Reeder for publication on 18th August by World Editions and Marijke Schermer’s novel If That’s What It Is, translated by Hester Velmans.

The non-fiction line-up includes The Long Song of Tchaikovsky Street by Pieter Waterdrinker translated by P C Evans and published on 10th February by Scribe UK , We Hominids by Frank Westerman, translated by Sam Garrett and released by Head of Zeus on 12th May and a book from Thalia Verkade and Marco te Brömmelstroet called Movement: How to Take Back the Streets and Reclaim our Lives, translated by Fiona Graham for release on 9th June by Scribe UK.

For more information, visit newdutchwriting.co.uk.