- Bestselling author Celeste Ng (Little Fires Everywhere, Our Missing Hearts) in the Netherlands for the first time
Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague is back as a continuous, four-day festival! From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 January 2024, be inspired and carried away for four atmospheric winter days during talks, interviews, readings, spoken word performances and film screenings. The festival is announcing the first names of authors and artists performing. Ticket sales for the grand festival nights on Friday and Saturday have started; the complete festival program will be available at writersunlimited.nl in early December.
The performances by some ninety writers, poets, spoken word performers and musicians can be seen in Theater aan het Spui, Filmhuis Den Haag, Paard, the Koninklijke Schouwburg, in theaters and public libraries in districts of The Hague, at the Haagse Hogeschool, and at secondary schools in The Hague.
The upcoming edition's theme is Human Voices: a statement at a time when compassion is sometimes far away. The festival emphasizes that writers can speak out freely. Writers and researchers also talk about what AI and programs like ChatGPT mean for the future of literature, books and the role of writers. Furthermore, the voice is where inner and outer worlds come together. Does a writer hear his character talking in his head? How do writers make use of those voices, in monologues and dialogues? And of course there are also many readings by writers, poets and spoken word artists from all parts of the world.Judith Uyterlinde, Director Writers Unlimited
The first of the approximately ninety authors and performers who will be performing have been announced: the festival welcomes the following domestic and foreign authors, among others:
- Celeste Ng brings her first visit to the Netherlands. The three bestsellers published by the American writer are real page-turners. She is internationally currently the best read author with Asian roots. LIttle Fires Everywhere became a TV series with Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Her latest book is Our Missing Hearts.
- Connie Palmen explores artistry, creativity and autonomy of women in her latest book Voornamelijk vrouwen (Mainly Women). During the grand festival nights Friday and Saturday Night Unlimited, she speaks about the voice of character, among other topics.
- Adriaan van Dis recently published his new novel Naar zachtheid en een warm omhelzen (Towards Tenderness And a Warm Embrace). He will perform with Maddy Stolk, Ellen Deckwitz, Robin Block and Lara Nuberg during a Saturday Night Unlimited program on former Dutch East Indies roots.
- Oumaima Hajri is a lecturer at the Hogeschool Rotterdam in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and researches how AI can be used responsibly. On this subject, she will discuss with writers.
- Sacha Bronwasser, wrote the bestseller Luister (Listen), a novel with great narrative power and an exciting story. She participates in several programs during Friday Night Unlimited.
- Het Zwarte Schaap (The Black Sheep), a collective of young poets and spoken word artists from The Hague, under the direction of Daniëlle Zawadi, will provide a dazzling spoken word program during Friday Night Unlimited.
The festival attaches great importance to cooperation with secondary schools in order to pay attention to talent development, the promotion of language skills and the enjoyment of reading and literature. Therefore, the festival organizes writers’ visits in schools, and high school students are encouraged to write their own stories. They read their stories on the foyer stage during grand festival nights Friday Night Unlimited and Saturday Night Unlimited.
Ticket sales have started for Friday Night Unlimited and Saturday Night Unlimited. During these events you can choose your own route along some twenty programs of 20 to 50 minutes each: talks, interviews, readings, music and film with and by writers, poets, spoken word artists and musicians from the Netherlands and abroad. Bookstore De Vries Van Stockum will offer a rich selection of novels, non-fiction books and poetry collections by the performing authors in the foyer.
In early December 2023, the festival will announce the complete festival program with detailed day-by-day information, program descriptions and biographical profiles of all participating authors and artists. Ticket sales for all festival events will also begin then.
Writers Unlimited brings together writers, poets, spoken word artists, thinkers and scholars from around the world to discuss with each other and with our audiences on current issues, literature, poetry, art, science and society. Annually in the Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague (next edition January 18-21, 2024), year-round in Writers Series talks at various locations in The Hague, and 24/7 in the freely accessible YouTube channel videos featuring hundreds of talks and performances.
Since 1995, Writers Unlimited has organized the International Literature Festival The Hague. Many tens of thousands of visitors have witnessed talks and readings by writers and poets on current themes. The festival has become one of the most important international literary events in the Netherlands. Under the motto "The word is for the writers," the festival has involved literature in national and international social debate.
Writers Unlimited's activities are made possible by grants from the Municipality of The Hague and the Dutch Foundation for Literature, by contributions from various private funds and by collaborative partners in The Hague such as the Literatuurmuseum, Huis van het Boek, De Haagse Hogeschool, Bibliotheek Den Haag and the Jan Campert-Stichting.
About Writers Unlimited
Writers Unlimited brengt schrijvers, journalisten, denkers, dichters, artiesten én hun publiek samen in het Writers Unlimited Internationaal Literatuurfestival Den Haag en in programma's op locatie in Den Haag ('Writers Series). Tijdens die ontmoetingen wisselen ze hun literaire werk, hun ervaringen, dromen en ideeën uit over grenzen van culturen en talen.
________________________________
Writers Unlimited connects writers, journalists, scholars, poets and artists with their audiences, across borders of cultures and countries, in the annual Writers Unlimited International Literature Festival The Hague and in monthly literary events on location in The Hague (Writers Series). During those encounters, they exchange - before an audience and amongst each other - their work, their experiences, dreams and ideas. In all languages and cultural diversity.