Newsletter Foreign Rights November 2012

Newsletter Foreign Rights De Bezige Bij, Thomas Rap, Cargo and Balans November 2012 Tommy Wieringa – These Are the Names * A new classic to treasure

Over 35,000 copies sold • Sold to UK (Portobello) and Italy (Iperborea) • German offer • World rights: De Bezige Bij • English sample translation available • Novel, 304 pages A border town on the steppe. A group of bedraggled refugees appears out of nowhere, spreading fear and panic in the town. When police commissioner Pontus Beg orders their arrest, evidence of a crime is found in their luggage. As he begins to unravel the history of their hellish journey, it becomes increasingly intertwined with the search for his own origins. Through a meeting with an old rabbi, the last Jew in town, Beg discovers the truth about himself. With both humour and wisdom, Tommy Wieringa links man’s dark nature with the question of who we are and whether redemption is possible.

Tommy Wieringa (b. 1967) is the author of the best-selling novels Joe Speedboat and Caesarion. His work has been published in more than fifteen countries and has garnered his praise, both at home and abroad.

On These Are the Names: ‘Although we have another two months to go, These Are the Names is almost certainly one of the best books of the year. Wieringa has raised the bar yet again. (…) This is a monumental novel that showcases both intelligence, discipline and originality and Wieringa’s almost passionate drive for perfection. His vast scope has become an indisputable trademark. The Netherlands is too small for Wieringa.’ ***** – De Volkskrant ‘Tommy Wieringa takes both his protagonist and his readers on a trip across the steppe in this exceptionally clever novel.’ **** – NRC Handelsblad ‘This novel deserves the highest praise. Compelling, intelligent and altogether impressive.’ – De Standaard

De Bezige Bij / The Busy Bee • h.deinum@debezigebij.nl & m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl

Paul Verhaeghe - Identity

* We’re enjoying ourselves to death, but no one is satisfied

20,000 copies sold • Offers: World English and simple Chinese • World rights: De Bezige Bij • English material available • Non-fiction, 271 pages In Identity, Paul Verhaeghe gets to the heart of the social changes behind our changed sense of identity. The crux of this new-me feeling revolves around three issues: changes in identity development, in standards and values, and the consequences of neoliberalism. Who we are is determined, as always, by the context within which we live. At this moment, that context rules: those who do not succeed will become ill. The drive for success and happiness turns out to have a dark side: it leads to a loss of self-awareness, to disorientation and despair. Humans are lonelier than ever. Love is hard to reach, and living in a meaningful fashion has become deeply problematical. On the basis of his clinical experience as a psychotherapist, Verhaeghe shows the reader the great extent to which a changed society has impacted the contemporary mental problems of the individual.

Paul Verhaeghe (b. 1955) is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, and a professor at the University of Ghent. He achieved international recognition as an expert on Freud and Lacan. Love in Times of Loneliness (1998), a critical analysis of contemporary relations between the sexes, became an international bestseller and was translated into eight languages.

On Identity: ‘Those who argue that man is not first and foremost an individual tend to be met with skepticism in political circles these days. It takes a book like Identity to tell us why we ought to be deeply worried about this skepticism.’ **** – NRC Handelsblad ‘An impassioned, lively speech. Accessible for every reader, Verhaeghe hits the nail on the head.’ **** – De Volkskrant ‘His argument is lucid, eloquent and compelling, and easy to follow, even for laypersons. One can only whole-heartedly agree with his analysis.’ – Athenaeum

De Bezige Bij / The Busy Bee • h.deinum@debezigebij.nl & m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl