Foreign Rights List London 2013

De Bezige Bij Publishers • Thomas Rap Publishers • Balans Publishers • Oog & Blik Publishers • Cargo Publishers Van Miereveldstraat 1 • nl-1071 dw Amsterdam • Postbus 75184 • nl-1070 ad Amsterdam The Netherlands • tel +31 20 305 9810 • fax +31 (0)20 305 9824 Foreign rights contact Hayo Deinum h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or Marijke Nagtegaal m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl or at tables 22f and 22g in the irc

publishing house de bezige bij www.debezigebij.nl/web/Foreign-Rights.htm

translation rights london book fair 2013 content fiction Margriet de Moor Vincent Overeem Daan Heerma van Voss Tomas Ross Ernest van der Kwast Viktor Frölke Henk Hanssen Oscar van den Boogaard Thomas Heerma van Voss Elisabeth Steinz Tatjana van Zanten

Mélodie d´Amour Toby The Forgetting The Night Watchman Mama Tandoori Happy Ending A Matter of Survival With Tender Indifference Stern And One Night Superbly Happy

non-fiction Roland van der Vorst Peter Westbroek Rob Wijnberg Edin Mujagic Dagmar van der Neut

Peter Winnen

The Camouflage Effect The Discovery of the Earth The News Factory The Killing of Money Why Crocodiles Don’t Have Willies.

What Animals Can Teach Us About Love God Or Devil

graphic novels Jaron Beekes Jan Cleijne

Epstein. The Brain Behind The Beatles Heroes of the Tour

successful titles Tommy Wieringa Paul Verhaeghe Peter Buwalda David van Reybrouck Sytze van der Zee Laurens de Groot Typex

These Are the Names Identity Bonita Avenue Congo. A History Pain. A Biography Hunting the Hunters. My Years at Sea Shepherd Rembrandt

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

margriet de moor mélodie d'amour * Rarely has anyone written so lucidly about love Rights sold: Hanser Verlag (Germany) • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 336 pages Love creates Love destroys A wife and her husband – love. Another woman – a second, secret love. Love of a son for his mother; love between brother and sister. Love as a respite for a man on his deathbed.

In her new novel, Margriet de Moor presents love in all its unpredictable forms, from loyal attachment to allconsuming passion. With unparalleled sensitivity she sketches the ecstasies that love can bring about, and at the same time its destructive power, the violence and bloodlust that disappointment in love can generate in us. However well-meaning her characters may be, each and every one of them succumbs to the power of love, which is so much greater than their own.

Mélodie d’Amour is a sensitive, playful novel, always light in tone despite the often stormy events recounted in it. With this exquisite book, Margriet de Moor has placed a crown on her rich oeuvre. margriet de moor made her debut in 1988 with the short story collection Seen from Behind.

It was followed by successful novels including First Grey, Then White, Then Blue, which won her the AKO Literature Prize in 1992, The Virtuoso, The Kreuzer Sonata, The Storm and The Painter and the Girl.

Her work has been translated into twenty-four languages.

Mélodie d’Amour is her ninth novel.

On The Painter and the Girl: ‘An exceptionally rich novel about death, imagination and eternity.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘She sheds light on the reality of history that, however heartrending, suddenly becomes part of a larger, mysterious reality. Clever and original in equal measure.’ – trouw

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

vincent overeem toby * Toby seems charged with electricity; every person and every place is full of significance.

English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 285 pages In the forest close to the village where she lived, the lifeless body of Nickie is found, a seventeenyear-old girl of whom everyone speaks ill, stunningly beautiful and uncontrollable. What does fourteen-year-old Toby have to do with her death and why did he hang out with her in her final weeks? What did he tell her about the mother he found himself unable to let go after she died a few weeks earlier? The reader gradually discovers just how entangled their lives are.

Toby is the subtle tale of an obsessive relationship between mother and son, and of the desperate weeks in which Toby’s love for Nickie reaches its appalling end.

vincent overeem (b. 1974) has published short stories in De Gids, Tirade and NRC Handelsblad. He made his debut in late 2005 with the story collection November Girls, which was nominated for the Gerard Walschap Literature Prize. His first novel Misfit was extremely well received in the Netherlands and Germany. Toby is his second novel.

‘As a reader you are perpetually on the edge of your seat. There are the hypnotizing sentences, there is the unease. There’s the almost breathless advance to the inescapable end. There’s the unremittingly suggestive style.

Yes, this is a masterpiece.’ ***** – het parool ‘Toby offers a taste of sophisticated psychological chaos, in which despair, guilt and confusion following the suicide of a loved one have a major part to play.’ ***** – knack ‘A dark novel about growing up and about insanity, with an opening like a thriller. (...) As the novel progresses, the story takes on the character of a vortex, irresistibly dragging the reader with it. Overeem lets you flounder for a bit, not immediately explaining what’s going on – and that is exactly what makes his second novel so good.’ – elsevier

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

daan heerma van voss the forgetting * You wake up unable to recall who you are. It happened to Daan Heerma van Voss.

English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij and Van Grunsven Creative Management • Novel, 280 pages On 16 January 2012, writer Daan Heerma van Voss wakes up not knowing who or where he is. Only after several hours of panic do the first fragments of memory return. He intuitively gets in touch with Daniël, his oldest friend, who comes to see him straight away. As the day goes on he sees his family, visits doctors and meets a lost love. He finds himself being slid into machines and passed on from one medical centre to the next. What is wrong with him is explained repeatedly and every time he forgets. When he leaves the hospital in the evening, cured, he hurries into town in search of friends and memories. In the months that follow he makes discoveries about forgetting and about the nature of the disorder by which he was struck down. Daan Heerma van Voss spares neither himself nor the people in his life, and in his candour he seeks out the cruellest of boundaries. The Forgetting is an inimitable and moving novel in which the workings of the memory are brilliantly coupled with friendship and love.

Writer, interviewer, editor and historian daan heerma van voss (b. 1986) is considered the most talented Dutch writer under thirty. In 2012, he and fellow journalist Daniel van der Meer were awarded De Tegel for outstanding journalistic writing. In 2010 he published his first novel, A Sunday Man, which was nominated for the Anton Wachter Award for best literary debut. His second novel, No Time to Lose, published in 2012, was well received by the Dutch and Belgian press and was quickly followed by The Forgetting in 2013. Heerma van Voss lives and works in Amsterdam.

‘With The Forgetting Daan Heerma van Voss shows himself to be the leading light of the youngest literary generation.’ – humo ‘Masterly.’ – jan ‘There’s always talk about urgency in fiction... This book IS urgency. Fantastic.’ – author Jan van Mersbergen ‘Fascinating.’ – vpro-gids

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

tomas ross the night watchman * To mark the reopening of the Rijksmuseum after many years of renovation work, Tomas Ross has written a unique thriller in which a document long presumed lost and a mysterious painting threaten the survival of the royal family English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Thriller, 320 pages 1885. Willem iii throws a party at Palace Het Loo, treating Amsterdam with contempt by failing to attend the opening of the brand new Rijksmuseum. Meanwhile, young Emma of Oranje Nassau seeks comfort with her friend and confidant Sebastiaan de Ranitz. The night watchman, infatuated with little Wilhelmina, hears all there is to hear about life at court. But there is more. He gets wind of a ‘terrible secret’ that could bring down Willem, the monarch he hates.

2013. A few weeks before the reopening of the Rijksmuseum, twenty-five-year-old Emma, intern and art history student, is helping to organize the Cuypers Library.

Between folios and manuscripts she finds a curious note from 1889. When she goes to ask Professor Bredius for advice, she finds him dead, murdered in his chair. She only just manages to escape the murderer herself and seeks help, but finds herself a suspect. From that moment on she fears for her life, until she discovers the nature of her distant ancestor’s revenge.

tomas ross (b. 1944) is the author of many bestsellers, including For the Sake of the Throne, The Hand of God, The Sixth of May, which became a film directed by Theo van Gogh, Mata Hari´s Tears and The Marionette. Three of his thrillers won him the Dutch Gold Dagger Award. He has also written a number of television series and audio plays about the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange, including the prizewinning Bernhard, Knave of Orange.

Tomas Ross writes tense and provocative thrillers, treading a fine line between fact and fiction. Our Woman in Tripoli, his previous thriller, was published in 2012.

Press on previous works: ‘Tomas Ross is the best Dutch thriller writer.’ – de tijd ‘Once again bang on target.’ – crimezone.nl ‘Ross deserves a deep bow.’ – het parool

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

ernest van der kwast mama tandoori * An affectionate love-hate relationship between mother and son English sample translation available • Rights sold to: isbn Editioni • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 224 pages In the autobiographical Mama Tandoori, his fourth book, Ernest van der Kwast paints a hilarious but moving portrait of his Indian and Dutch family. The central role is reserved for his mother Veena. She comes to the Netherlands from India to work as a nurse and after refusing a thousand times she finally marries doctor-tobe Theo van der Kwast. In their marriage she emerges as an exuberant fury who keeps her family firmly under her thumb, with the rolling pin if necessary. She is typified by her eternal hunt for bargains, discounts and special offers.

Her motto is ‘free is good’ – useless junk or not. ‘Never marry an Indian’ becomes Theo’s own motto. Although he is a doctor and researcher, his wife believes he earns no more than a ‘rickshaw driver in Bangalore’. To which he mutters: ‘If only I were a rat in Delhi.’

In this lucid and irresistible story Van der Kwast has a sharp eye for the tragedies that afflict his mother and the family. But above all this is a loving portrait, both of Veena and of the troubled characters on his father’s side.

ernest van der kwast (b. 1981) was born in Bombay, India. He made his debut in 2005 with the novel Sometimes Things Are More Beautiful When People Are Clapping. Under the name Sieger Sloot he published the novel Stand-in (2007).

He was also co-responsible for the stories Man Seeking Woman To Make Him Happy, which appeared under the name Yusuf El-Halal. Van der Kwast lives in South Tyrol, the most northern part of Italy. His latest book is the novel Giovanna's navel.

‘When it comes to style, timing and feeling for language, Van der Kwast is up there with the best of them.’

– vrij nederland ‘Van der Kwast does not stop at creating a laughable character. Under the skin of humour he puts ribs and lungs, muscles and a heart. Comical becomes tragicomic.’

– humo

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text NLF

viktor frölke happy ending * A Catholic Portnoy’s Complaint about a young man’s discovery of lust, love and life World rights: De Bezige Bij and Van Grunsven Creative Management • Novel, 250 pages ‘It was my second nature to please people. You could also argue it was pure necessity,’ says Olaf Huncke, the main character in Happy Ending, a funny, heart-wrenching and touching novel about the discovery of lust, love and life.

Olaf is the introverted son of a general practitioner who dreams of becoming a conductor or, if that doesn’t work out, a poet. ‘Let’s see what happens’ is his attitude. Together with his best friend Ferdinand he explores the boundaries of the permissible and acceptable and regularly finds himself up against his strong-willed mother.

Olaf is hopelessly in love with Céline, Ferdinand’s mysterious sister, who appears more sensitive to the charms of Olaf ’s older brother Arthur, not least because of his wonderful car: a DS Décapotable. The story reaches its tragicomic climax when Olaf becomes the involuntarily witness to Arthur and Céline’s lovemaking on an Italian camping site.

Happy Ending tells of a series of unforgettable events in a doctor’s family, against the backdrop of a Catholic provincial town in the 1980s. Whether the action is taking place

in a ladies’ toilet, during a marketing course on how to sell lawn mowers, or at dinner with the Huncke family, you’ll be swept away by Frölke’s inimitable style and audacious tales. viktor frölke (b. 1967) was a correspondent and columnist based in New York for Het Parool, Elsevier and NRC Handelsblad. He now lives in Amsterdam and writes for Esquire Magazine and Het Financieele Dagblad. Frölke’s debut novel FAKE (2008), about a Dutch lawyer in New York who tries to reinvent himself, was well received by the Dutch and Belgian press. Happy Ending is his long-awaited new novel.

‘Funny and touching. Holds you in its grip from the very first page.’ – Herman Koch, author of the international bestseller The Dinner About FAKE: ‘Hilarious.’ – het parool

‘A promising debut.’ – de standaard ‘Frölke is up there with Arnon Grunberg.’

– Herman Brusselmans in playboy

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

henk hanssen a matter of survival * Stunning debut novel about a fateful friendship World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 459 pages Eighteen-year-old Koen Donkersloot makes it his aim to conquer the world with his pen.

At journalism college he becomes friends with Sybrand, an eccentric student who draws his sustenance from the great philosophers. By publishing a series of defamatory pamphlets, the duo make themselves impossible at college.

They escape by travelling to Lebanon, intending to write a piece of reportage about a cover-up within the Dutch un detachment there. They dream of a pleasant stay in a Mediterranean country full of beautiful girls, but the journalism students find themselves in a civil war, and what began as a journey for two friends becomes a confrontation between their moral beliefs, philosophies of life and physical powers.

henk hanssen (b. 1961) studied at the School for Journalism and the Dutch Film Academy.

He has written a number of non-fiction books about fatherhood, which have been translated into several languages. A Matter of Survival is his first novel.

A Matter of Survival is partly based on a real-life incident in Lebanon involving Dutch UNIFIL soldiers – an incident that caused great controversy at the very highest levels in The Hague and Jerusalem, and at the United Nations.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

oscar van den boogaard with tender indifference * A cruel friendship in Naples French manuscript available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 170 pages After an adventure with a pupil, a young teacher loses his job, his wife and his lover. He takes his leave of everyone and sets off for Naples, where, after a brutal robbery, he is confronted with a dark episode from his past. As the result of an unusual friendship with octopus fisherman Dario, with whom he explores the Gulf of Naples, his life takes a whole new turn.

Following More than a Lover (2010), which was nominated for the ako Literature Prize, Oscar van den Boogaard has written another blistering novel. With Tender Indifference is the moving story of a lonely man and the unpredictable value of love and friendship.

oscar van den boogaard (b. 1964) grew up in Suriname and the Netherlands. He studied law and French language and literature in Montpellier, Amsterdam and Brussels before making his debut in 1990 with the novel Dentz. After moving to De Bezige Bij, he published the novels The Vertical Beach (2005), a book about how you can liberate yourself by turning your worldview upside down, and Magic Man (2007), a sequel to his Bruno’s Optimism (1993).

‘A light and cheerful tone that Boogaard strikes tremendously well.’ – Onno Blom, Radio 1, Tros Nieuwsshow ‘Van den Boogaard distils literature to its essence, to what it’s really all about.’ – het parool ‘One of the most fascinating of Dutch writers.’ – die zeit

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

thomas heerma van voss stern * The intriguing story of an unusual family World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 217 pages Hugo Stern is a dedicated primary school teacher. With his wife Merel and their eighteenyear-old son Bram, he leads a pleasant life in a desirable district of Amsterdam. But when he is unexpectedly forced to accept early retirement, his life takes an unexpected turn. In a lucid, selfaware style, Thomas Heerma van Voss leads the reader through the life of his main character, a man who never did anything wrong. The result is a multilayered novel in which the young author intelligently weaves together Stern’s past and present, as we gradually realize how closely related those two periods are.

thomas heerma van voss (b. 1990, Amsterdam) studied Dutch at the University of Amsterdam. He published his debut novel The Everything Table in 2009. His stories, interviews and articles have appeared in publications including Vrij Nederland, nrc.next, Tirade, Das Magazin and De Gids. Stern is his second book.

‘So young prodigies do still exist.’ – hp de tijd On The Everything Table: ‘This young man demonstrates his talent by keeping the reader glued to his book.’ – het parool

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

elisabeth steinz and one night * A modern fairytale of fantasy, reality and webcam love

World rights: De Bezige Bij • Film rights sold to: Endemol • Novel, 240 pages And One Night is a modern love story that takes place in between dream and reality. Isabelle’s life abruptly gathers pace when she recognizes her friend’s new lover as one of her webcam-sex friends. In the twilight zone between virtual life and the real world she can escape the horror of her father’s approaching death.

In a blind trance she travels to Morocco with the friend concerned, *Dickydick*, in his avocado-green Mercedes.

In her head she is experiencing the journey her father once promised her, but which they never made. Isabelle and *Dickydick* go to the utmost extremes until stopped by life itself. And One Night is a modern fairytale played out in between fantasy and thrilling reality.

elisabeth steinz (b. 1980) studied Dutch and journalism. She worked as editor-in-chief and newsreader for the radio section of the Novum press bureau. And One Night is her debut.

‘Simply a good book for all readers.’ **** – het parool ‘A first novel by an author who presents herself as a self-assured promise.’ *** – de volkskrant ‘And One Night is a novel that raises questions, with a main character whose egocentric acts can seem terrifyingly familiar.’ – elle ‘Well-written debut in an airy, literary style, with a beautiful rendering of the sometimes rather arbitrary despair among the current generation of people in their late twenties and early thirties.’ – opzij

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

tatjana van zanten superbly happy * Riches and extravagance turn out to have a dark side 20,000 copies sold • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Film rights sold to: Endemol • Novel, 314 pages When Tatjana moves from her native city of Amsterdam to jolly-hockey-sticks Bloemendaal, her family and friends think she must be mad. But her new neighbour Babs, the wealthy ‘queen’ of the village, takes her in hand. Tatjana and her new friend drive in the Porsche – Babs does not cycle – to all the big parties and gatherings of Bloemendaal’s happy few. She gets to know a world of immeasurable riches, where good manners and adultery hold each other in balance. When her niece becomes the target of bullying, relationships in the village are set on edge.

tatjana van zanten (b. 1966) is the author of the bestselling A Man for My Mother, about her mother’s search for a new partner in life. Superbly Happy, her second book, is already in its seventh printing.

‘Acerbic portrait of the happy few, wittily and mercilessly described.’ – linda ‘Tatjana tears apart the social codes of her milieu and in doing so offers a wonderful but shocking glimpse behind the front doors of the great country houses.’

– margriet ‘A really good book.’ – Business Class (rtl7)

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

roland van der vorst the camouflage effect.

Tthe art of standing out * How to consistently get yourself noticed in a world that has more and more to offer World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: business/personal development, 173 pages The world is busier than ever. It’s a problem for anyone and anything that is looking to get noticed: businesses competing for market share, all those brands and new products that are being introduced all the time, and indeed politicians fighting for attention in a crowded arena. What to make of all the content being thrust through the digital channels every day by those in search of a willing audience? Or the millions of single people seeking the spotlight on dating platforms? In the ocean of competing supply, it’s easier to drown than to float to the surface.

While warehouses and supermarket shelves overflow, inboxes and servers fill up and everyone has more and more choice, the question arises: What does it take to stand out?

How do you consistently get yourself noticed in a world that has more and more to offer? How can you make sure people will choose you?

The answer turns out to be both simple and effective. In this book, top strategist and entrepreneur Roland van der Vorst shows how people, brands, systems and ideas catch the eye by ‘camouflaging away’ the competition. Lightheartedly and with a wealth of examples, he describes unique ways of guaranteeing that you’ll always catch the eye. The Camouflage Effect is a must for anyone eager to stand out from the crowd. roland van der vorst (b. 1969) advises organizations on strategy and branding. He is the founder of communications agency THEY, which has offices in Amsterdam and Delhi, as well as the author of Curiosity. How we are seduced daily and Hope. How we are seduced by the future, both of which went through several reprints. Since 2010 he has been on the list of the most influential Dutch people under forty-five, published each year by daily newspaper de Volkskrant.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

peter westbroek the discovery of the earth * The big story of a small planet 9,000 copies sold • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: geology, 335 pages At Christmas in 1968 the earth revealed itself in a new form. We gazed at our planet from outer space for the first time, with the moon in the foreground. For millions of people it was an image of stirring beauty, an experience that felt like waking out of deep hibernation. Invigorating: if we can do this, there’s no stopping us. Now, almost half a century later, that joyful optimism seems to have evaporated and we are left with fears about the climate, raw materials, globalization and overpopulation.

Yet that glorious feeling about planet earth has not been eliminated. It is still very much alive. Behind the scenes a new science is flourishing, and it is steadily becoming more and more part of the story of our miraculous planet, showing us who we are. A brand new worldview is emerging, a worthy successor to the heliocentrism of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton, whose scientific golden

age led to the Enlightenment. We are beginning to see the outlines of a second Enlightenment, and this time it will not be confined to a small elite but turn all of humanity in a new direction. peter westbroek (b. 1937) is emeritus professor of geology. He belongs to the generation of scientists who took an active part in the creation of Earth System Science. A member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, he became the first Dutchman since Erasmus to be given a professorship at the Collège de France in Paris. He is a member of the Leiden Geological Society and was the first recipient of the Vladimir Vernadsky medal from the European Geophysical Society.

‘A sublime book.’ – Joop Goudsblom ‘This is the book that’s made the greatest impression on me over the past year.’ – Wim Brands in vpro television’s ‘Boeken’

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

rob wijnberg the news factory * How the media create our worldview World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: news/media, 155 pages Journalism has degenerated to become a vulgar news factory, where viewing figures, reader numbers, advertising revenues and profitability are seen as the undisputed measures of success.

The aim is to keep the audience permanently mesmerized by spectacular, amusing or otherwise attention-seeking reports, rather than to nurture insight into the world around us. It is all flung into the ether with no thought for any criteria of public interest – like concentrated feed for a chicken coop full of aimlessly zapping news-consumers. Whether or not the information matters is irrelevant, as long as it gets talked about. In The News Factory, Rob Wijnberg lambasts the mechanisms behind this attention-economy. In his own characteristic way, he lays bare the true nature of modern news provision: how it has fallen under the spell of targetaudience thinking and marketing; how it insists on instant opinions and vision-free politics; and above all how it deters citizens from thinking. After reading The News Factory you will never watch the news or open a paper casually again.

rob wijnberg (b. 1982) studied philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. In September 2010, at nrc.next, he became the youngest editor-in-chief of a national Dutch daily newspaper. An essayist and columnist for nrc.next and its sister paper NRC Handelsblad, he made his breakthrough in 2009 with the philosophy bestseller Nietzsche and Kant Read the Newspaper.

Together with Stine Jensen he wrote the bestseller Therefore I Am. A search for identity (2010).

That same year he also published And my Dining Companion is Plato.

‘A shrewd analysis of his country’s journalism, in which the author places himself in the line of fire, wide open to criticism.’ – trouw ‘For non-journalists especially, The News Factory offers a captivating view of the profession.’

– leeuwarder courant ‘Compulsory debating fare for any editorial office.’

– villamedia magazine

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

edin mujagic the killing of money * How the central banks are destroying our money World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: monetary/economy, 352 pages That life gets more expensive every year seems as natural to us as the fact that the sun rises in the east every morning. But the continual increase in prices is actually a phenomenon barely more than a century old. What you could buy for 10 cents in 1450 cost roughly the same a hundred years later. There was no such thing as inflation.

That changed drastically in about 1900, when prices began to rise at an unprecedented rate.

Based on historical facts, comparative figures and economic analysis, Edin Mujagic plainly shows that the birth of the central banks was the kiss of death for the value of our money. Not only did those national banks undermine the buying power of our currencies – a process that is still underway and has in fact accelerated in recent years – they called down disasters upon us as a result, including the present economic crisis.

Economist Edin Mujagic demonstrates convincingly what the role of the central banks, which is systematically underestimated, has been in the world economy. He also issues warnings about tomorrow’s world. edin mujagic (b. 1977) is a macro- and monetary-economic analyst. Economics editor at FEM Business & Finance for several years, he is the author of Ten Years of the Euro and The Spectre of Inflation.

‘Mujagic is a hawk among monetary economists.’

– Press agency de persdienst ‘A monetary thriller.’ – bank- en effectenbedrijf

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

dagmar van der neut why crocodiles don't have willies. what animals can teach us about love * Spicy questions about love and sex in the human and animal worlds World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: biology/psychology, 224 pages Mating, copulating, having sexual intercourse, making love, call it how you will – in a far, far distant past mother nature decided that a useful survival aid would be to exchange genes.

In other words, to have sex. But what are the amorous strategies handed down since prehistoric times? And what can we learn from them about our own relationships and sexual desires? With infectious frankness, Dagmar van der Neut asks the most diverse questions about love, sex, loyalty and friendship in animals and humans. What was prehistoric sex like? Why don’t crocodiles have willies? Are women as chaste as they like to pretend? Is it true that swans are never unfaithful?

Are handsome men lazy? Do cows have girlfriends too?

Do we all love only ourselves? This book offers a witty and illuminating view of love and sex, and everything that has anything remotely to do with either of them.

dagmar van der neut studied psychology at the University of Amsterdam. She is an editor at Psychologie Magazine and a journalist writing for publications including popular science monthly Quest. She writes about animal behaviour, evolution, personal growth, relationships and brain research. Why Crocodiles Don’t Have Willies is her first book.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

peter winnen god or devil * The murky world of doping, past and present.

World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: sports/cycling/doping, 222 pages It’s starting to look as if there’s hardly a pro cyclist left who is averse to hypos, bombs, bottles, stimuls, charges or any of the other performanceenhancing elixirs. Many forms of ‘dynamite’ are included on the doping list: amphetamines, sympathomimetic amines, ephedrine, anabolic steroids. The physio will have salves, plasters, massage oils... and a bag full of special remedies for patching you up. It’s all part of the care you’ll receive after the extraordinary exertions of a cycle race, but it is ruining the image of the sport. The clean cyclist who endures his suffering for as long as possible using nothing but willpower has become a rarity. Peter Winnen has addressed the debate about doping in sport on several occasions, both during his cycling career and since. He’s broken through the omertà, and the men who were once his fellow cyclists have not always thanked him for it.

peter winnen (b. 1957) was a professional cyclist from 1980 to 1991. He came third, fourth and fifth in the Tour de France and twice won the Alpe d’Huez stage. He regularly writes columns, for NRC Handelsblad for instance, and is also an artist and the author of From Santander to Santander, False Start, Pedal Work, Snot Before Your Eyes, Pedal Knight and Leader, all likewise published by Thomas Rap.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

jaron beekes epstein. the brain behind the beatles * The true story of the fifth Beatle Publication: August 2013 • World rights: Oog & Blik • Black and white graphic novel, 176 pages The Beatles are without doubt the most influential band in pop history. But how did these four working-class kids from Liverpool, who were playing the rough bars of Hamburg, become the biggest rock ‘n’ roll band of the sixties?

In Epstein Jaron Beekes gives us the story of the man behind The Beatles, Brian Epstein. A successful record dealer, he took the four talented guys under his wing and created their image: out with the leather jackets and the quiffs, and in with the smart suits and the bows after each performance. By Epstein’s side the band achieved unprecedented success. ‘If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian,’ Paul McCartney would later say.

But there was a dark side to his story: in the narrowminded environment of England in the fifties and sixties he struggled with his homosexuality and his Jewish origins. And as the Beatles’ success grew, so did Epstein’s indulgence in drink and drugs, which would eventually get the better of him.

jaron beekes (b. 1982) has degrees in Cultural Studies, Illustration and Image & Language.

His first graphic novel, Spinoza’s Lens, tells the turbulent history of the life and work of Spinoza. Beekes also works as an illustrator and publishes a weekly cartoon in Folia magazine.

About Spinoza's Lens: ‘A great story.’ – **** telegraaf ‘A well-written and riveting story. The passion is palpable.’

– striptip

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

jan cleijne heroes of the tour * A graphic history of the Tour de France Rights sold: Covadonga Verlag (Germany) • Publication: May 2013 • World rights: Oog & Blik • Full colour graphic novel, 160 pages The year 2013 will see the 100th edition of the Tour de France. Once again, the biggest names in cycling will be racing across the French landscape to earn a place on the podium on the Champs Elysées. Stamina, technique, character and tactics are vital in the battle for the yellow jersey. On the occasion of the 100th edition of the Tour, Jan Cleijne pays homage to the better and lesser known heroes from cycling history: Lucien Buysse, Fausto Coppi, Wim van Est, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Lance Armstrong and many others. These are compelling stories, the sporting and personal highs and lows of the Tour heroes, illustrated by Cleijne with an eye for detail and a great sense of drama.

A must-have for all Tour de France fans.

jan cleijne (b. 1977) is a cartoonist, illustrator and amateur cyclist. He has been involved with several animated films, has drawn short stories and has worked for various magazines. Heroes of the Tour is his first graphic novel.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

tommy wieringa these are the names * A new classic to treasure 95,000 copies sold • Rights sold: Portobello (World English), Iperbora (Italy), Hanser (Germany) and Actes Sud (France) • Shortlisted for Golden Owl and Libris Literature Prize • 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 high praise, both at home and abroad.

‘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. Compared to his earlier work, the novel’s structure is tighter and more focused and the chapters are as neatly trimmed as box hedges. This is a monumental novel that showcases both intelligence, discipline and originality (‘he had the heart of a whale’) 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 ‘A surprisingly gruesome and thrilling narrative about the search for identity in the twenty-first century.’ – humo ‘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

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

paul verhaeghe identity * We’re enjoying ourselves to death, but no one is satisfied 30,000 copies sold • Rights sold: Sangya Culture Media Company (China Mainland), Scribe (World English) and Kunstmann (Germany) • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: psychological/society, 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 selfawareness, 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. More than 12,000 copies of The End of Psychotherapy have been sold to date.

‘His argument is lucid, eloquent and compelling, and easy to follow, even for laypersons. One can only whole-heartedly agree with his analysis.’ – athenaeum ‘Those who argue that man is not first and foremost an individual tend to be met with scepticism in political circles these days. It takes a book like Identity to tell us why we ought to be deeply worried about this scepticism.’ **** – nrc handelsblad

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

peter buwalda bonita avenue * An impressive, hefty debut novel about the downfall of an ambitious family 290,000 copies sold • Sold to Rowohlt (Germany), Actes Sud (France), Mondadori (Italy), Pushkin Press (uk/us), Odeon (Czech Republic), Salamandra (Spain), Scolar (Hungary) and Owl (Taiwan) • More than one year in the Dutch Best Seller list • Winner of the Academica Debut Prize 2011, the Selexyz Debut Prize 2010 and the Tzum Prize 2010 • Shortlisted for the Libris and ako Literature Prize 2011, the Dutch Gold Dagger Award 2011 and the Flemish Gold Dagger 2011, the NS Readers’ Award 2011 and the Anton Wachter Prize 2012 • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 544 pages Joni Sigerius, stepdaughter of the rector of a University, and her boyfriend Aaron, run a little business that she prefers to keep secret from her dynamic and brilliant father. It is in the year that a fireworks catastrophe vanishes a complete residential quarter in the city, that the explosion takes place within the family as well. Not only do Joni and Aaron find themselves in dire straits, but it is also in this same summer that Sigerius Sr.’s only real son is released from prison. Only eight years later – by which time Joni is

running a million-dollar business in Los Angeles – does Aaron find out what was really going on in 2000. peter buwalda (b. 1971) worked as a journalist and editor for the literary pop music magazine Wahwah. His stories have been published in Hollands Maandblad and De Gids. Bonita Avenue is his debut novel.

‘Already in the first chapter Buwalda portrays the convin­ cing character of a cad with a turn for mathematics and an obsession for judo… Buwalda has an easy going style, clear and precise, and completely unpretentious.’

– de groene amsterdammer ‘Outstanding read. Bold language and content. Bonita Avenue is a book which deserves a large audience.’ – hp | de tijd ‘Buwalda is one of those rare authors who absolutely hit the mark with their very first novel. Its stylistic virtuosity is at the service of a moving family tragedy and a wealth of penetrating observations and insights. Astounding.’

– de volkskrant

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

david van reybrouck congo. a history * The fate of one of the world’s most devastated countries.

230,000 copies sold • Sold to Ecco/Harper Collins (us), 4th Estate (uk), Font Forlag (Norway), Suhrkamp (Germany), Natur och Kultur (Sweden), Actes Sud (France), Tiderne Skifter (Denmark), Siltala (Finland), Swiat Ksiaziki/ Weltbild (Poland), Feltrinelli (Italy) • Full German and French translation available • English proposal and sample chapter available • Winner of the ako Literature Prize, Libris History Prize, ndr Kultur Sachbuchpreis, Prix Médicis Essai and the Jan Greshoff Prize • History Book of the Year 2012 (damals, German magazine) • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction: historical/Africa, 550 pages David Van Reybrouck begins his gripping account of hope and madness in the 1870s and chronicles the pre-colonial, colonial and postcolonial era up to 2010, the fiftieth anniversary of Congo’s independence. His vivid narrative zooms in on the impact of the slave trade and the late nineteenthcentury rubber boom, presents lively portraits of Belgian colonization, the struggle for independence, Lumumba’s tragic life and Mobutu’s dictatorship, and details the causes of the war that has raged between 1996 and the present, the deadliest conflict since the Second World War. Congo. A

History is based on little-known archival sources and extensive travelling in Central-Africa. The hundreds of interviews which Van Reybrouck conducted both in the slums of Kinshasa and in the villages of the interior, as well as in the African diaspora of Europe and China, lend a unique dimension to a rich and convoluted history. david van reybrouck (b. 1971) is a journalist, a literary non-fiction writer, a novelist, a poet, a playwright and a professor at the university of Leiden. Many of his books were nominated and have won literary prizes.

He lives in Brussels.

‘Sublime… monumental… virtuoso. This literary non­ fiction is more thrilling than a novel can be.’

– nrc handelsblad ‘The best book on Africa of the past years.’

– frankfurter allgemeine ‘Essential read to understand what’s going on now in the heart of this troubled continent since humanity.’

– libération

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

sytze van der zee pain. a biography * A description of pain in its many forms World rights: De Bezige Bij • Rights sold: Knaus (Germany) • English sample translation available • Non-fiction: medical/psychological, 336 pages The management of pain is a relatively young discipline within medical science. Scientists did not start looking at pain until the 1960s.

Until then, pain relief was usually left to neurosurgeons, who often did little more than sever nerve bundles. This approach was discredited in 1959

by Amsterdam-based Professor Willem Noordenbos, who established that this only increases the pain.

Of the 2.2 million Dutch people over the age of twenty who experience pain on a daily basis, between 600,000 and 800,000 suffer chronic pain without an immediate cause or for which the cause has not yet been established.

Sytze van der Zee studied the phenomenon of pain in all its forms. He explored the historical views of pain, examined what happens in the body when somebody is in pain, attended operations at pain clinics and compared various methods of treatment including alternative ones. He also spoke to chronic pain sufferers and those who experience no pain at all, SM practitioners and athletes going through the pain barrier.

sytze van der zee (1939) has published extensively on wwii and crime, including Potgieterlaan 7, Zuidwal, Anatomy of a Serial Killer and Outlaw. He has also worked as a correspondent for the daily newspaper NRC Handelsblad, deputy editor of weekly magazine Elsevier and editorin-chief of the daily newspaper Het Parool.

‘Engrossing, properly documented and superbly written.’

– de volkskant ‘Sytze van der Zee has written a valuable medical handbook that - in contrast to the official textbooks - is extremely readable, even for the complete layman. For doctors with years of practical experience, Pain offers sound, science based information about complaints and disorders they will rarely get to see.’ – de telegraaf

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

laurens de groot hunting the hunters. my years at sea shepherd * Bloodcurdling adventures of a whale warrior, written from the decks of the rubberboats Rights sold: Adlard Coles Nautical/Bloomsbury (World English) • English sample translation available • Non-fiction: environmental/ society • World rights: Thomas Rap • Illustrated, 299 pages Laurens began his working life as an environmental inspector with the police in Holland’s Rhine estuary region. But when he realized that there was little he could do to stop the truly big criminals, he decided to take a different tack. He went to Australia and joined the Sea Shepherd organization as a volunteer. There he went along on campaigns to interfere with whaling activities, became friends with founder Paul Watson and experienced bloodcurdling adventures. On numerous occasions he served on the crew of the flimsy rubber boats that race

close to the hulls of the big whalers in an attempt to foil the catch. He was one of the six crew members aboard the Aby Gill when that ship was cut in half by a whaling vessel, and was pursued by enraged hunters in Namibia, after he had tried to film them slaughtering thousands of seals along the coast. In Sea Shepherd, Laurens tells the complete story.

Breathtaking. Timely. Newsworthy. laurens de groot (b. 1980) currently works on individual basis and in partnership on the protection of wildlife.

‘A compelling book that shows that campaigning with Sea Shepherd is no job for softies.’ – primero

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

typex rembrandt * A uniquely vivid portrait of Rembrandt’s life, in cooperation with the Rijksmuseum Publication: April 2013 • Rights sold: SelfMadeHero (World English) and Norma (Spain) • Dummy available • World rights: Oog & Blik • Full colour graphic novel, 240 pages Rembrandt portrays the painter’s life and follows the whole sweep of his painting career. It is about one man’s artistic vocation and the work it demands, about life and death, love and bereavement, fame and loss. A graphic novel with the imaginative power to bring Rembrandt van Rijn, one of the greatest painters of all time, to life.

His love life is an important part of the story. His wife Saskia was his greatest passion. She came from a prosperous family and the couple was comfortably off. After Saskia’s death, Rembrandt didn’t remarry, since that would have meant forfeiting his inheritance. He did have other relationships, with Geertje Dircx and especially Hendrickje Stoffels. Rembrandt’s lifestyle had long been extravagant, and he eventually faced personal bankruptcy.

typex (b. 1962) is an Amsterdam College for the Arts graduate. His work appears in many nationwide newspapers and magazines. He illustrated numerous children’s books and published some of his own.

This unique collaborative enterprise between the author, Typex, Design and Architecture, Oog & Blik|De Bezige Bij Publishers and the Rijksmuseum, home of the world’s largest and most important Rembrandt collection, guarantees a spectacular result – a stunning and surprising graphic novel on Rembrandt’s life.

‘Here is to the greatest Dutch artist...I mean the second greatest. First there was Rembrandt, then there was Typex!’

– Nick Cave

Translation rights De Bezige Bij London 2013, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij