Singel Publishers fiction + non-fiction spring 2016

literary fiction

Rights Guide Singel Publishers London 2016

de a r b e i d e r s pe r s at h en a e u m s i n g e l P u b l i s h e r s

nijgh & va n dit m a r Uitgeverij Q Querido

 Winner of the bng Literature Prize 2015  Longlisted for the Libris Literature Prize 2016  Received stellar reviews from the press

literary fiction

Jamal Ouariachi A Hunger Student Aurélie Lindeboom has the shock of her life when her boyfriend is arrested; the famous aid worker Alexander Laszlo has been accused of abusing one of his Ethiopian adoptees. Has Aurélie really shared her bed for over a year with a man who, without her knowledge, is a paedophile?

Almost ten years later, she is the mother of a young daughter and working as a journalist. Laszlo approaches her once again, with a proposal that will have far-reaching consequences.

‘A literary spectacle.’ ***** Het Parool ‘An immense book.’ ***** Algemeen Dagblad ‘The work of a born storyteller. Unmissable.’ **** De Standaard

Original title Een honger Novel | 592 pages | Querido

© Arnout Hulskamp

Jamal Ouariachi (1978) studied psychology and made his debut in 2010 with De vernietiging van Prosper Morèl

Foreign rights:

(The Destruction of Prosper Morèl). He writes

Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

© Arnoud Hulskamp

stories and opinion pieces for a number of newspapers and weekly magazines. His second novel, Vertedering (Tenderness), was published in 2013 and shortlisted for the bng Literature Prize and the Gouden Boekenuil.

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 Voted as one of the greatest literary talents of the Netherlands  Masterful love story  Repeatedly reprinted and many wonderful reviews

literary fiction

Merijn de Boer The Hunting Lodge Vera, a healthcare worker, goes to a remote and dilapidated house on the River Vecht one day, where a mother and her son live. The son has never been away from home before and has met only a few other people in his life. Vera falls head over heels in love with this unworldly recluse, who has the mind of a professor and the body of a construction worker. ‘And I’ve got him all to myself,’ Vera thinks contentedly.

‘No one else knows he exists.’ She tries to take him away from his mother.

‘An outstanding novel.’ **** De Morgen ‘You seldom come across a writer with such boldness.’ **** nrc Handelsblad ‘Completely original.’ **** Het Parool Original title ’t Jagthuys

‘A mature and strong novelist.’ Trouw

Novel | 240 pages | Querido

Merijn de Boer (1982) studied in Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.

He is an editor at Uitgeverij Van Oorschot. In 2011, his short-story collection Nestvlieders (Flee-

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

© Bart Koetsier

ing the Nest) was published, for which he won

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl

the Lucy B. en C.W. van der Hoogt Prize 2012.

Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

His first novel The Night was longlisted for the ako Literature prize. The Hunting Lodge is his second novel.

 Shortlisted for the bng Literature Prize 2015  Powerful story about loss, consolation and looking for something to hold on to  ‘An intense experience.’ nrc Handelsblad

literary fiction

Henk van Straten Praying and Falling Tom needs to make a success of his business trip.

Then everything will be all right; he can get his act back together and finally show his family that he loves them.

But just before he leaves, he heads into the bushes with a young Moroccan man. His question ‘Am I actually interested in men?’ soon expands into something much larger and more profound.

It is not only Tom’s life that is falling apart. While he is desperately trying to find himself, the people back home are also losing their grip on their lives; his wife takes refuge in Buddhism, his brother-in-law, whose girlfriend is finding comfort and security in sex, is failing as a writer. Meanwhile, at the mosque, a young man is praying for the strength to live with what he’s done.

‘Stunning.’ **** Het Parool ‘Van Straten cleverly packages his ingenuity in such an accessible form and style.’ **** Algemeen Dagblad

Original title Bidden en vallen | Novel | 448 pages | Nijgh & Van Ditmar

© Koos Breukel

Henk van Straten (1980) wrote four novels and a children’s book, was nominated twice for the bng New Literature Prize and was on the longlist for the Libris Literature Prize, all in the four years between the ages of 27 and 31. This was a formative, but also rather chaotic period. Now, four years after his last novel, the monumental Praying and Falling has been published, fulfilling past promises.

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 The final part of the trilogy went straight into the bestseller lists  Three magical novels, one gripping family history

l i tYA e r -a rf y ANTASY fiction

Natalie Koch Untraceable University When 19-year-old Alexa Westerhof goes to study at a small London university, she soon discovers that the Gothic building hides a number of secrets. A dramatic event on the campus brings her into contact with the Magi and their special powers.

To her horror, she finds out that she shares these powers, just as her father did. As she participates in ordinary English student life, she also starts taking courses in magic at Untraceable University.

All sorts of mysterious things happen around Alexa.

And when first Professor Exley and then Rain, her dreamy housemate, inexplicably fall unconscious, Alexa decides to investigate.

‘A well-crafted scenario with everything in the right place.’ de Volkskrant ‘Natalie Koch picks up where J.K. Rowling left off.’

Pink Bullets

Original title De verborgen universiteit – de erfenis van Richard Grenville | YA - Fantasy | 624 pages | Uitgeverij Q

© Lona Aalders

Natalie Koch (1966) is a musicologist. She has

Sample translation available

worked as a music journalist and written descriptions and reviews

Foreign rights:

of concerts and CDs. In 2006 her

Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

debut novel Plays was published.

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl

She is currently affiliated with the Amsterdam Academy of Music.

Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 Incomparable sense of style  Haunting and poignant novel about the love between parent and child  Echoes not only of Kafka and Borges but also H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King

literary fiction

Anne Eekhout One Night James is the only prisoner in a building that operates on unfairness and unspeakable suffering. But everything changes when he goes to sleep. Then he is in a real world, where he is married to Ana and has a daughter, Penelope. But even in that world he is a prisoner, as his constant fear that something terrible will happen to his daughter slowly takes hold of him.

When Penelope suddenly disappears, James’s greatest fear comes true and he increasingly loses his grip on reality. But which reality does he believe in? His choice will be crucially important for Ana and Penelope…

‘Intoxicating. Meticulous. Tender. Painful. Obsessive.

Sublime. Written with stardust. Alien and yet so close.’

Janneke Siebelink, editor of bol.com and tv critic Reviews of Dogma: ‘Eekhout flawlessly presents a portrait of a generation that is hungry for recognition. A first-rate debut novel.’ **** de Volkskrant Original title Op een nacht

‘Dogma is dangerously good literature.’ **** De Morgen

Novel | 296 pages | De Arbeiderspers

Anne Eekhout (1981) studied law in Amsterdam and became the co-owner of an independent bookshop. Her debut novel, Dogma, was published in 2014, winning rave © Lona Aalders

reviews, a nomination for the Bronzen Uil for the best Dutch-language debut novel and a place on the longlist for the ako Literature Prize.

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 Panoramic and pan-European novel about the MH17 disaster  Current, relevant and gripping

literary fiction

Pieter Waterdrinker Poubelle Wessel is a Member of the European Parliament. At the height of the Maidan uprising in Kiev, he travels to Ukraine. While his marriage simmers along, Wessel wallows in the decadent, promiscuous Ukrainian society.

But then the ghosts of his past in Russia come back to life. He is sucked into the war in Eastern Ukraine.

Poubelle is a panoramic novel that exposes the issues of our time. In his acclaimed lyrically sharp style, Waterdrinker paints a shocking portrait of an unstable and over-privileged Europe and the contemporary human condition. This is an important book that takes a fresh and unique look at Europe and the prelude to the MH17 disaster.

Reviews of The German Wedding: ‘A wonderful novel!’ **** The Times ‘Waterdrinker is a great narrative talent.’ Berliner Literaturkritik

Original title Poubelle Novel | 420 pages | Nijgh & Van Ditmar

Pieter Waterdrinker (1961) lives in Moscow. His publications include the novels Liebmans Ring, A Dutch Romance and The

Foreign rights:

German Wedding and the short-story collection

Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

© Julia Klotchkova

Montagne Russe. His work has been translated into English, German and Russian, winning international acclaim. He has been nominated several times for awards including the Libris Literature Prize and the prestigious impac Dublin Literary Award 2011.

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 Number 1 bestseller, over 100,000 copies sold in 4 months  By the uncrowned queen of literary non-fiction  ‘Magisterial’ ***** nrc Handelsblad

l ilti etrearrayrn yo f ni- c f itcitoi o nn

Annejet van der Zijl The American Princess On 13 April 1927, Allene Tew boarded the Mauretania in the harbour of New York. She was leaving behind everything she’d ever dreamed of as a young country girl – fame, fortune, motherhood and the love of her life. She’d lost almost everything. Tew was known as ‘the richest and saddest widow in town’, but she had a whole new life ahead of her: a family, a future as a real princess, Russian countess and godmother of the Dutch queen Beatrix.

The American Princess is a reconstruction of a fascinating life, set in America and Europe, Victorian and modern times, industrial and Russian revolutions and two World Wars. But above all it’s the personal story of an exceptional woman who had the courage to follow her own, inimitable path to the bitter end.

‘With The American Princess, the Dutch ‘queen of literary

Original title De Amerikaanse prinses

non-fiction’ has outdone herself.’ ***** nrc Handelsblad

Literary non-fiction | 280 pages | illustrated | Querido

Annejet van der Zijl has written several bestselling titles since

Sample translation available

1998. 2004 saw the publication of Sonny

© Anja van Wijgerden

Boy, of which more than 600,000 copies

Foreign rights:

have been sold in the Netherlands alone.

Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

The book has been published in Bulgaria,

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl

Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Sweden, and has been made into a hugely successful major movie.

Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 ‘A clever and astute book that shows how the Chinese Communist Party is using classical culture to redesign society.’ ***** nrc Handelsblad

non-fiction

Henk Schulte Nordholt China and the Barbarians China’s development has been completely different from that of the West, in terms of language, philosophy and history. Insight into China’s traditions offers a better understanding of China’s contemporary nationalism.

Aspiring to remain in control, the Chinese Communist Party has created the myth that, without the Party, China could not have returned to the world stage and that, without the Party, the ‘territorial integrity’ of the country cannot be restored. What does this ‘restored’ China look like? Beijing’s regional policy is causing structural tensions between China and most of the countries located in East and Southeast Asia, and also, indirectly, their ally the United States. Are we on the verge of a conflict between the superpowers of the 21st century? Much will depend on China’s internal political developments.

Original title China en de barbaren Non-fiction | 480 pages | Querido

Henk Schulte Nordholt (1953) is a sinologist. From 1981 he worked for the

Sample translation available

© Charlotte van der Heijden

Ministry of Economic Affairs, promoting economic relations between the Netherlands and China. In 1985, he was appointed as the first director of the

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl

AMRO Bank in Beijing. Five years later, he decided to

Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl

start his own company, Hofung. Henk Schulte Nord-

Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

holt has been a speaker for over 20 years, based on his own experiences of living and working in China.

 Military adventure set in the glorious Golden Age  Successful combination of history and thrilling literature  Innovative research in combination with a compelling literary style  A new light shed on the Glorious Revolution

non-fiction

Machiel Bosman The Predator King November 1688. The fleet is gathering off the coast of the Netherlands, ready for the crossing of forty thousand men. It is the greatest military operation in the history of the Republic. The Prince of Orange stands on the eve of an uncertain adventure with potentially catastrophic consequences: an autumn invasion, at the end of the war season, when the North Sea is ravaged by storms.

His aim? England. His mission? To dethrone the king, his father-in-law. His wife? The Scottish princess Mary Stuart. They await an easterly wind…

Original title De Roofkoning Non-fiction | 224 pages | Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep

© Koos Breukel

Machiel Bosman (1972) is a historian in the

Sample translation available

tradition of the great storytellers. His Elisabeth de Flines (more than 15,000 copies sold) was nominated for the ako Literature Prize and the Grote Geschiedenis Prijs for historical books.

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

 The Rhine as a political and cultural boundary within Europe

non-fiction

Ben van der Velden The Rhine The Rhine has been a barrier in every conflict between France and Germany. But no one nowadays believes that, after World War II, the French or Germans will ever cross the Rhine with an army again. Yet the Rhine remains a European border. As a cultural boundary, its presence is felt even more keenly. Alsace is increasingly French-speaking, and Germans don’t learn much French at school.

Ben van der Velden set out on a journey of discovery on both sides of the border, carrying out more than a hundred interviews in two years: about contact between the inhabitants of Alsace and Baden, about wars, the Nazi era, the Holocaust. And about battlefield tourism, religion, the question of whether Germany is cheaper than France, ‘green’ thinking in Baden, the oldest nuclear power station in France, and about the Rhine itself, with its history of embankments and rerouting.

Time and again, the river proves to be a political and cultural boundary. The problems of all of Europe are reflected in this area.

Original title De Rijn Non-fiction | 208 pages | Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep

Ben van der Velden (1942) worked as a journalist and

Full German translation available

foreign correspondent at nrc Handelsblad for many years.

Before moving to Baden, Germany, he lived in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and France.

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

b e s t s e l l e r

Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer La Superba  Winner of the Libris Literature Prize 2014  Over 65,000 copies sold  Important literary novel with great social relevance An astonishing literary novel that pays homage to a city like no other: Genoa, La Superba. An expat poet is the reader’s charming – and sometimes not so charming – guide to the labyrinthine city and its inhabitants, a man who stumbles across a leg in the dark and, by the end of the book, finds its owner. He is chasing a fantasy femme fatale, who in a bizarre twist becomes more than just a figment of his imagination. But the love story is doomed to end tragically. La Superba investigates, explains and unravels the illusion of a better life elsewhere, and shows how people get lost in their search for love and happiness.

Rights sold: Deep Vellum (World English), Aufbau (Germany), Antolog (Macedonia) Full English translation available, Italian sample translation available

Original title La Superba Novel | 346 pages | De Arbeiderspers

b e s t s e l l e r

Thomas Rosenboom Public Works  Over 400,000 copies sold  Made into a major movie in 2015  The only author to have won the prestigious Libris Literature Prize twice A magnificent literary novel about the tragic downfall of a nineteenthcentury violinmaker in Amsterdam.

Located directly opposite Centraal Station is the Victoria Hotel. If you look closely, you’ll see the small, very old houses within the façade of the hotel. Those houses inspired Thomas Rosenboom to write his monumental novel Public Works.

Thomas Rosenboom unforgettably succeeds in evoking a world that fostered belief in progress, social improvement, and faith in technology and science.

Original title Publieke werken Novel | 472 pages | Querido

Rights sold: Gyldendal (Denmark), DVA (Germany), Gondolat (Hungary) and Kalligram (Slovakia) English sample available

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl | Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl | Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

b e s t s e l l e r

Joost Zwagerman Gimmick!  Modern classic and a must-read  By the 2008 winner of the Gouden Ganzenveer oeuvre prize  Over 200,000 copies sold Gimmick! was first published in 1989. This is the story of Walter van Raamsdonk, who joins a circle of young, successful artists in Amsterdam who are mostly preoccupied with money, sex and drugs – everything but art, in fact. Gimmick! is a fine depiction of the yuppie era, and tells the unforgettable story of a boy who loses his innocence and mourns for his lost love.

Joost Zwagerman passed away in 2015, leaving behind an impressive oeuvre.

Rights sold: Huma (Estonia) Joost Zwagerman’s books have been published in many countries, including Germany, France, Hungary, Czech Republic and Japan.

Original title Gimmick!

Novel | 237pages | De Arbeiderspers

bestseller

Fik Meijer Jesus and the Fifth Evangelist  30,000 copies sold  What do we really know about Jesus?  Based on Biblical and non-Biblical sources

In his new book, Fik Meijer writes about the truth behind the stories of Jesus’s birth, the role of Mary Magdalene, the meaning of exorcism, the violence of Gethsemane, crucifixion as the ultimate punishment, and Jesus’s resurrection from the dead. New light is thrown on Biblical characters associated with Jesus – John the Baptist, Pontius Pilate, Barabbas, Judas Iscariot and Jesus’s brother James – as Meijer brings the historical Jesus to life.

The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John describe the life of Jesus. Flavius Josephus also contributed a great deal to our knowledge of this subject. Meijer uses all these sources to paint a convincing portrait of Original title Jezus en de vijfde evangelist

Jesus the man.

Non-fiction | 352 pages Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep

Sample translation available

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl | Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl | Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

b e s t s e l l e r

Barbara Stok Vincent  10,000 copies sold  Rights sold to 13 countries  Graphic novel about one of the greatest Dutch artists ever

Graphic novelist Barbara Stok spent three years working on this major project about Vincent van Gogh. The final result is stunning.

Vincent van Gogh was an artist brimming with passion. His ideas about success, hardship and a purposeful life create an interesting counterpoint in our age of market forces and individualism.

By incorporating these thoughts, Barbara Stok has turned the adventures of a nineteenth-century painter into a contemporary story.

Rights sold: Arabic, Chinese, Danish, World English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Original title Vincent

Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Turkish

Graphic novel | 144 pagesl | Nijgh & Van Ditmar

English translation available

bestseller

Erik Scherder Keep Your Brain Running  Over 60,000 copies sold  How exercise keeps your brain young

When children exercise, it stimulates the parts of the brain that ensure optimal intellectual development, the same parts of the brain that are the first to degenerate with age. Now, though, it transpires that exercise is just as important for adults. It isn’t just good for your figure but also for your mental fitness. Keep Your Brain Running describes the rewards you get from exercise, and the negative effects on your physical and mental health if you don’t exercise. In his captivating and convincing argument, scientist and speaker Erik Scherder shows that we mustn’t let our brains go.

Original title Laat je hersenen niet zitten Non-fiction | 176 pages | illustrated

Rights sold: German (C.H. Beck) and Spanish (Intermedia Editores)

Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep

Sample translation available

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl | Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl | Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

b e s t s e l l e r

Guus Kuijer The Bible for Unbelievers  Over 65,000 copies sold  Parts 2 shortlisted and part 3 longlisted for the ako Literature Prize 2014  Retelling of Bible stories by one of the Netherlands’ most popular writers

The Bible is a fascinating book. Western culture is unimaginable without the Christian holy book. However, many people, particularly those who did not grow up within the Christian tradition, have never read it. And that is a great shame, as it contains some of the most beautiful stories in world literature. Guus Kuijer retells these tales for both non-believers and believers, relating them from the points of view of the women, the slaves, the have-nots and the underdogs.

Rights sold: US (Seven Stories Press), Germany (Antje Kunstmann) and Italy (La Nuova Frontiera). Guus Kuijer’s books have been translated into 21 languages.

English sample available

Original title De Bijbel voor ongelovigen 288 pages Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep |

Foreign rights: Jolijn Spooren | j.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl | Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl | Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl

Other titles (in alphabetical order by author’s last name) Benali, Abdelkader

Bergsma, Stella Pussy Album – Leaving Las

classic for a new generation of

Vegas meets Notes on a

readers * Over 100,000 copies

Scandal * Uncompromising

sold * A novel full of humour,

debut * A female Bukowski

passion, shame and cultural confusion * Rights sold to 13 countries

Bernlef

Bloem, Marion Out of Mind – Award-winning

No Ordinary Indo Girl –

author * Over 750,000 copies

Bestselling debut novel from

sold * ‘A remarkable study in

1983 * Lends a powerful voice

the mental dereliction of oldish

to the second generation of

age.’ The Sunday Times * Rights

Indo-Dutch people * Depicts

sold to 17 countries * English

tensions between the Indo

translation available

home environment and the Dutch outside world

Boon, Louis Paul

Bordewijk Minuet – One of the greatest

Character – Bordewijk’s

Flemish writers of the twentieth

masterpiece * Has lost none

century * Minuet has been

of its power and readability

described as ‘the sublime

75 years after publication

pearl in Boon’s crown’ * Blackly

* The film adaptation of

comedic novella * A captivating

Character won an Oscar

book about our loneliness and

* Rights sold to 9 countries

helplessness in a hostile world

* English translation available

* Rights sold to 10 countries

Broekema, Pauline

Dermoût, Maria

The Bosch House – A family chroni-

The Ten Thousand Things – A classic

cle * Boundaries of time and place

novel that has inspired readers

fade as not only a family comes to

across the world * ‘An offbeat nar-

life, but a whole era * The history of

rative that has the timeless tone of

the tobacco pioneers on Sumatra, a

legend.’ Time * ‘A mesmerizing list of

farming life on the Zuiderzee, ideal-

objects and events, memories and

ists in a charming and leafy village

thoughts, with the distant archipel-

near Utrecht and the violent end

ago as their source.’ nrc Handels-

of a naïve dream * English sample

blad * Rights sold to 13 countries

available

* English translation available

fiction

Wedding by the Sea – A modern

Elsschot, Willem

Enquist, Anna Counterpoint – One of Holland’s

twentieth-century award-winning

best-loved writers * Psycho-

Flemish novelist whose novels

analyst and a classically trained

are considered classics * His

pianist * In the stunning short

masterpiece, Cheese, established

novel Counterpoint, Bach’s music

him as a sophisticated stylist and

forms the backdrop to a story

a unique voice in Flemish realism

about motherhood and loss

* Rights sold to 27 countries

* Rights sold to 10 countries

* English translation available

* English translation available

Grunberg, Arnon

Haasse, Hella S.

The File – Celebrated and

The Tea Lords – One of the

award-wining novelist who

most highly regarded and most

lives in New York * The File is

frequently translated authors

a mercilessly thrilling novel

in the Netherlands * Winner

* Grunberg’s work has been

of the prestigious Prijs der

translated into 29 languages

Nederlandse Letteren * The Tea

* Rights represented by the

Lords lends a unique, literary

Arnon Grunberg Agency

form to old family archives * English translation available

Hart, Kees ‘t

Hart, Maarten ‘t Teatro Olimpico – Kees ’t Hart

Magdalena – Author of more

writes novels, essays, stories and

than thirty books, many of

poems * Fabulous novel about

which have been translated

dreams and ambitions * Two

into German * Bestselling

theatre producers are invited

novel * 100,000 copies sold

to put on a play at the famous

* A universal story, recogniz-

Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza

able to every mother and son

* ‘The wittiest novel of the year.’

* Rights sold to Piper Verlag

***** NRC Handelsblad

(Germany)

Herzberg, Abel J.

Japin, Arthur Amor Fati – Highly personal

The Winged Man – Award-

essays * Includes some of the

winning author of novels, short

earliest and most impressive

stories, screenplays and plays

reflections on the Holocaust

* Published in translation

* Translated into German,

in more than 15 countries

English, Hebrew and Italian

* Spectacular historical novel about imagination and passion * Over 30,000 copies sold * Rights represented by Rogers, Coleridge & White

fiction

Cheese – Major and popular

Kellendonk, Frans

Leeuwen, Joke van The Greenhorns – Van Leeuwen

work is widely regarded as

has written a multi-faceted

among the best writing in

oeuvre * Her books have been

modern Dutch * A modern,

published in over 15 countries

literary classic * An iconic

* A compelling and thought-

novel about the AIDS generation

provoking migration novel

* Rights sold to Scritturapura

* Shortlisted for the Libris Lit-

(Italy) and Gallimard (France)

erature Prize 2016 * Longlisted

* English sample available

for the Fintro Literary Prize 2016 * English sample available

Loo, Tessa de

Meenen, Vincent van The Twins – A monumental

Light and Sound – Intriguing

novel * Two sisters, one

debut by an outstanding tal-

German and one Dutch,

ent * For fans of Paul Auster,

reunited after World War

Max Frisch and David Vann

II * Over 600,000 copies

* Literary road movie, a mys-

sold * Made into an Oscar-

tical and sensitive account

nominated movie * Rights

in which both protagonist

sold to 26 countries

and reader become inescapably entangled

Mizee, Nicolien

Moor, Marente de The Half-Brother – By

The Dutch Maiden – Winner

one of the Netherlands’

of the European Prize for

wittiest authors * Humorous

Literature * 70,000 copies

story about love and loss

sold * ‘Great narrative tal-

* Description of Mizee’s

ent.’ Frankfurter Allgemeine

life and family at times

Zeitung * Rights sold to 10

of blossoming love and

countries * German trans-

imminent separation

lation and English sample available

Muus, Lykele

Nescio Elk – Muus is an actor and

Amsterdam Stories – A

a writer, for theatre and

small, refined body of work

television * A poignant

* Proven classic – the best

Bildungsroman about

of the treasure trove of Dutch

love, truth and identity

literature * ‘A significant Dutch

* Cinematic scenes with

writer.’ Publishers Weekly

colourful characters

* Rights sold to 17 countries

reminiscent of John Irving

* English translation available

fiction

Mystical Body – Kellendonk’s

Peek, Gustaaf

Rijswijk, Roos van Unholy – Van Rijswijk writes

ery of the year 2015 * A frank and

columns, plays and stories *

honest novel about the mysteri-

The stylish and true debut novel

ous and all-too-human aspects

of a great literary talent

of love * Over 35,000 copies sold

* ‘Subtle and daring novel about

* Shortlisted for the Libris Litera-

a bond as fragile as a cobweb.’

ture Prize 2015 * Rights sold to

**** De Volkskrant * ‘A subtle,

DVA

fiction

Goddess, Hero – Literary discov-

understated, idiosyncratic

(Germany), Phébus (France)

novel.’ **** nrc Handelsblad

and Pinhan (Turkey) * English sample available

Tellegen, Toon

Umbgrove, Arthur The Hedgehog’s Longing – Popular

Paradise Village – Umbgrove

and widely acclaimed writer * Win-

is a cabaret artist and

ner of Constantijn Huygens Prize *

novelist * Road novel

Life’s major themes are broached

* A father and his eleven-

in the moving and amusing en-

year-old son travel through

counters between animals, which

the western United States in

can also be read as philosophical

a Ford Mustang. On their trip,

musings on the human condition *

the father discovers that he

Tellegen’s books have been trans-

doesn’t actually know his son

lated into 20 languages

* Film rights sold

Vekeman, Christophe

Zomeren, Koos van

Hotel Rozenstok – Flemish

Otto’s War – Van Zomeren is

author who has published

the author of a large oeuvre of

ten books * A must-read

literary novels, autobiographi-

story that operates on the

cal prose, short stories, poetry,

boundary of reality and

thrillers and nonfiction, with

fantasy * ‘A colourful and

nature as the most important

intense comedy that gives

theme * Breakthrough novel of a

reality a good slapping.’ De

literary writer * Over 20,000 cop-

Standaard * English sample

ies sold * Rights sold to Rowohlt

available

(Germany)

Broeck, Charlotte van den

Gruwez, Luuk Cloakroom – Award-winning

of the Herman de

poet * One of the most

Coninck Prize for the

frequently included poets

best Flemish debut

in Dutch anthologies *

* ‘Kameleon is a

‘Gruwez is an eloquent poet

precocious but certainly

with a humorous eye for the

not premature debut

saddest details.’ **** Het

that regularly makes us

Parool * An anthology of

turn a different colour.’

twenty years of work

**** De Morgen

poetry

Chameleon – Winner

Knibbe, Hester

Vanhauwaert, Maud We Are Parallel –

lished fifteen books of poetry

Winner of the

to date * Winner of a number of

prestigious

prestigious Dutch prizes includ-

Hugues C. Pernath

ing the Herman Gorter Prize

Prize 2015 and

(2000), the A. Roland Holst Prize

the Herman de

(2009) and the VSB Poetry Prize

Coninck public

(2015) * Archaic the Animals is

award * Also

about guilt, shame and other uncomfortable emotions, but also

nominated for the VSB Poetry Prize and the Ida Gerhart Prize *

about vitality in all its forms

English translation available

Vroman, Leo

Bolt, Britta Posthumus Trilogy – A character-

won all the Dutch poetry prizes

driven detective series, set in the

available, including the P.C. Hooft

city of Amsterdam * Written in

Prize, a prestigious oeuvre award

English by Amsterdam-based

* Vroman created a unique poetry

authors * Rights sold to Mulhol-

oeuvre characterized by his sharp

land Books (UK), Hoffmann und

observations, which sparkle with

Campe (Germany) * TV rights sold

humour and originality * Anthol-

to Endor Productions * English

ogy of the best, most touching

version available

thrillers

Each Time I Shall Weep – Vroman

P OETRY

Archaic the Animals – Has pub-

and unique poems

Levander, Anna

Vandermeeren, Hilde The Morten Trilogy – For

Silent Ground – A Flemish

lovers of series such as

author with international appeal

Borgen and House of Cards

* Recently published

* Written by two Dutch

a short story in EQMM * Silent

political journalists and spin

Ground is a gripping

doctors * A political trilogy

psychological thriller about

with thriller-like elements

family ties and a past that

* Theatre and TV rights sold

can never be buried * English sample translation available

Boom, Henk

Bossenbroek, Martin The Boer War – Winner of the 2013

Boom writes for several newspa-

Libris History Prize * The full story

pers * His book The Great Turk

on the Boer War * Never before

was nominated for the prestigious

has the Boer War been described

Literature Prize * The Pos-

in such a vivid and comprehensive

AKO

sessed Visionary tells the story of

manner * Rights sold to Jacana

five hundred years of controversy

(South Africa), C.H. Beck (Germa-

surrounding Hieronymus Bosch

ny), Seven Stories Press (US) and

* Rights sold to Parthas (Germany)

Seuil (France) * German transla-

and Machado (Spain)

tion and English sample available

non-fiction

The Possessed Visionary – Henk

Boxsel, Matthijs van

Duijndam, Corina Coloured Reality – Duijndam is a

dia of Stupidity – A light-

sociologist, lecturer and essayist

hearted study with a clever

* She carried out research for six

approach to foolish things *

months among young people in the

The Encyclopaedia has been

northern banlieues of Paris * Duijn-

published in 17 countries

dam describes her experiences with the youth in suburbs of Paris and Amsterdam * Currently researching the interaction between radical Islamic and anti-Islamic groups

Flier, Wiesje van der & Scheltens, Philip

Grunberg-Klein, Hannelore

The Alzheimer’s Mystery –

As Long As Tears Remain – The

Research into the origin and

gripping story of author Arnon

treatment of Alzheimer’s

Grunberg’s mother * Memoirs

* Unique: passionate, world-

about her childhood in Berlin,

renowned researchers from

the subsequent war years and

the VUmc Alzheimer’s Centre

how she survived Auschwitz

* About the study of Alzheimer’s

* Rights sold to Kiepenheuer

disease, which affects people

& Witsch (Germany)

all over the world

Hermsen, Joke

Hulspas, Marcel Kairos – Hermsen studied

Mohammed and the Birth of Is-

literature and philosophy * She

lam – Hulspas is a science jour-

writes novels and essays on

nalist, columnist and reviewer

art, literature and philosophy *

who has written extensively on

Often invited as a speaker * Over

the subject of pseudo-science

130,000 copies of her books have

* A nuanced and realistic picture

been sold * Kairos was shortlist-

of the Prophet * A new, unique

ed for the Socrates Philosophy

view of Mohammed * English

Book of the Year Prize * ‘Brilliant

sample available

essays.’ – Vrij Nederland

Teitler, Hans

Zijlstra, Mildred Julian the Apostate – By a former

Dancing in a Princess Dress – Auto-

senior lecturer at the University

biography * After years of searching

of Utrecht * Teitler tells the story

for her biological parents, she found

of the Roman persecution of the

out that her father was Prince Bern-

Christians with verve, exploring

hard * A message telling all those

the role of Julian the Apostate

who are searching for their biological

* Pays close attention to the myths

parents not to give up hope * ‘In a

that grew up around the emperor

way, an adoption is always a mys-

* Rights sold to Oxford University

tery, sometimes with a most unlikely

Press (World English)

dénouement.’ Wim Daniëls

non-fiction

The Portable Encyclopae-

 Maximaal drie ankeilers - unique selling points - liefst in een regel de a r b e i d e r s pe r s at h en a e u m

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Spui 10

Vertaalde titel1012 WZ Amsterdam The Netherlands

Phone: +31 (0)20 760 72 10 Foreign Tekst over het boek Offictiunt pore rights dolore, optatus Jolijn Spooren desequosae dolenda nihillandent faces estibus

magniae niat aspernat aut utj.spooren@singeluitgeverijen.nl quiatur modi tem

literary fiction

Auteurs NaamSingel Publishers

Gustaaf Peek Godin, held

Maria Vlaar

alibus in est, quam, consequam volo est lantinc mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl

ipsunto quatemquis sitiorita cumquia perferibus esti abo. Iqui dolupie netusdae lant copies ut laut exera Reading sitiatu ribusandae consedisiMartijn occupta erovit fugitis Prins m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl eos expersp ernatioIl ipsae parcips untoribus utatur?

Quiatis cimus. Milibus re pres namet fugitis andus re Translation grants dolorest pro venes simaxim eos conest, aboreratis

translations of books by Singel Publishers

et repro qui.

may apply for a subsidy towards the translation costs. The Dutch Foundation for Literature exists to promote interest in

‘Mooie quotes.’ Vrij Nederland

Dutch language literature abroad. Further

Roman Querido

Foreign publishers wishing to publish

aliqui odit mos eum ilictem quibeaquiae sit et quam

and application form are ‘Ondanks de heikele kwestiesinformation die ’t Hart inan haar be found on www.letterenfonds.nl. karakter blootlegt, is het eentoliefdevol portret van

een moeder met bizarre trekjes.’ De Morgen Contact details

For the DutchHP Foundation ‘Verrassend liefdevol. Een prachtboek.’ de Tijd for Literature:

Original title Godin, held Novel | 274 pages |Querido

Nieuwe Prinsengracht 89 1018 VR Amsterdam The Netherlands t +31 (0)20 520 73 00

Peek fGustaaf +31 (0)20 520 73 99

(1975) debuteerde in 2006 met post@letterenfonds.nl de roman Armin. Daarna volgden www.letterenfonds.nl Dover, genomineerd voor de bng Nieuwe Literatuurprijs, Fiction: Victor Schiferlien Ik © Maria Hermes

was Amerika, dat bekroond werd v.schiferli@letterenfonds.nl met de bng Nieuwe Barbara den OudenLiteratuurprijs en de F. Bordewijkprijs. b.den.ouden@letterenfonds.nl

Non-fiction: Mireille Berman m.berman@letterenfonds.nl Poetry: Thomas Möhlmann t.moehlmann@letterenfonds.nl

Rights sold: DVA (Germany) English sample translation available Foreign rights: Patricia de Groot | p.de.groot@singeluitgeverijen.nl Maria Vlaar | mg.vlaar@xs4all.nl Martijn Prins | m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl