Foreign writers in Amsterdam

By Annelotte Fagel

Amsterdam is a place that plays a major role in various stories and books. There is a huge possibility that John Green wrote his bestselling book “The fault in our stars” while he stayed at the Spui Residency for Writers in Amsterdam in 2011. Since the year 2006 the Dutch Foundation for Literature, also known as Nederlands Letterfonds, welcomed different foreign writers to the Spui in Amsterdam.

“The Dutch Foundation for Literature is an organization that promotes Dutch literature in and outside The Netherlands,” Eva Prakken, program officer at the Dutch Foundation for Literature says. At the Spui writers are asked iIf they would like to live and work there for a short period of time so that they can finish a new book or be there for the translation of their book. Numerous writers have visited the residency already. Names like John Green, Astrid Roemer and Jeroen Olyslaegers were already there. “The response we hear from writers is always nice. One of the last visitors said that this residency became a part of him,” Eva Prakken tells.

Not only is there the residency for foreign writers at the Spui -The Dutch Foundation for Literature has multiple residencies who serve for various purposes. One of the most special residencies is called ‘Vluchtstad’. This residency is for foreign writers and journalists who had to flee from censorship in their home country. “That residency is in the old house where Anne Frank and her family used to live. In the house there is a room with a desk and that is where she started writing her journal,” says Eva Prakken. The writers are mostly very moved and grateful that they are able to stay in the apartment. In this residency you can live for a year and after that year the organization will help the writers for the next step because they are not able to go back to their country.

For foreign writers The Dutch Foundation for Literature makes it possible to show you the Dutch Literature and the beauties of the city at the same time. “Amsterdam is internationally very well-known, and it stands for multiple standards, and I can imagine that people think it stands for freedom”,Eva Prakken says.

Tips for writers!

Across the Residency for Writers the Spui in Amsterdam is café de Zwart, also known as the writer’s café. In June 2021 they celebrated their 100 years of excitement. In this time the café was surrounded by writers, publishers, journalists, artists, and politicians from the local, national, and international levels. Are you the next generation writers drinking a beer in this café?