Foreign Rights List Frankfurt 2012 by De Bezige Bij

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 stand 5.0 c 903

publishing house de bezige bij www.debezigebij.nl

translation rights frankfurt 2012 content fiction Tommy Wieringa Stefan van Dierendonck Ernest van der Kwast Y.M. Dangre Chris de Stoop Edzard Mik

These Are the Names And It Rained Bread Giovanna’s Navel March Rooms Matricide Mont Blanc

non-fiction Paul Verhaeghe Joost Conijn Tom Egbers Rob van Scheers / Paul Verhoeven Laurens de Groot Sytze van der Zee René Kahn / Peter van Straaten Pieter Winsemius Paul Scheffer Harry Mulisch

Identity Pilot of Good and Evil Rory Storm. King of Liverpool, Dethroned by The Beatles According to Verhoeven Hunting the Hunters. My Years at Sea Shepherd Pain. A Biography The Ten Commandments for the Brain Coincidence Is Only Logical It All Plays a Role in Reality Logbook

graphic novels Teun Berserik Joost Swarte Judith Vanistendael Kriek Typex Jan Cleijne Jaron Beekes

Vincent van Gogh. The Early Years Let’s Do It This Way! When David Lost His Voice From Beyond and Other Tales by H.P. Lovecraft Rembrandt Heroes of the Tour Epstein. The Brain Behind The Beatles

successful titles Peter Buwalda David van Reybrouck A.F.Th. van der Heijden Margriet de Moor Erwin Mortier Linda Polman

Bonita Avenue Congo. A History Tonio The Painter and the Girl A Stammered Songbook War Games

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tommy wieringa these are the names * A new classic to treasure 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.

About Caesarion: ‘The only writers who have successfully pursued this Holy Grail of the complete novel in recent years (the list is perhaps not exhaustive) are Roberto Bolaño in his The Savage Detectives, W.G. Sebald in Austerlitz, J.M. Coetzee in Disgrace and Philip Roth in My Life as a Man. From now on, however, to that list must be added the name of Tommy Wieringa.’ – le figaro ‘There is nothing quite like Wieringa’s poetic prose.’ – de standaard ‘Wieringa’s language is powerfully evocative…’ – liberation ‘Tommy Wieringa’s ambitious novel is a brilliant exploration of the uneasy transition from adolescence into adulthood – the restlessness, yearning for stability, irrational decisions and erotic obsessions.’ – independent ‘Although perfectly charming as picaresque, the tragedy of Unger’s plight registers just as strongly as its understated oddness (...) in Caesarion Wieringa plays for keeps.’ – publishers weekly

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stefan van dierendonck and it rained bread * The disconcerting story of a young, enthusiastic priest in the Catholic Church World rights: Thomas Rap • English sample translation available • Novel, 250 pages One morning, right after lauds, Father Johannes Becker is summoned by the abbot of his monastery. On the abbot’s desk is a cardboard box containing the intellectual heritage of Clemens Driessen, one of Father Becker’s former students who died under shadowy circumstances. Becker withdraws to his cell and starts his attempt to write down the story of the young priest’s life and death. At first the act of writing provides the priest with some comfort, but soon enough he loses control over his protagonist and along with that over his own mind. During his seminary days, Clemens had struggled with Catholic doctrine and with an allergy for gluten, which made it physically impossible for him to partake of the sacrament of the Holy Communion. Did Becker really do his very best to help Clemens during that difficult period?

At the age of eight, stefan van dierendonck (b. 1972) served as altar boy in a church in the Dutch city of ’s-Hertogenbosch, where he later attended seminary. Meanwhile, however, the priest has made way for the writer.

‘With this gripping autobiographical book, Stefan van Dierendonck has made a great impression on me. The disconcerting story of this young, enthusiastic priest is remarkably well-written, and makes it clear that, even outside the Catholic Church, a glorious future lies in wait for Stefan van Dierendonck. A future as a writer.’ – Jan Siebelink

With his novelistic debut, And It Rained Bread, Stefan van Dierendonck has written a teeming, mesmerizing novel. True proof of literary craftsmanship.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

ernest van der kwast giovanna ’ s navel * A novella full of tender happiness

10,000 copies sold • Sold to isbn Edizioni (Italy) • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novella and 4 short stories, 160 pages July 1945, a hot summer’s day on the beach of San Cataldo, in the heel of Italy. Two brothers lie side by side, staring at the girls parading on the beach, firmly packed in swimsuits. Until the twenty-year-old Giovanna Berlucchi appears in the surf. In a two-piece swimming costume. For Ezio this is the beginning of a lifelong obsession. An obsession which drives him from his home town to the far north of Italy. At the end of his life he takes one last train, back to the south. In an elegant, smooth style Ernest van der Kwast describes Ezio’s life. A life determined by small coincidences, impulsive decisions and one missed opportunity. In the four stories that frame this novella, the characters also look back. It makes Giovanna’s Navel a small series of touching portraits, situated in the raw Northern Italian landscape.

ernest van der kwast (b. 1981) was born in Bombay, India. He made his début 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. His autobiographical novel Mama Tandoori is a bestseller and has been successfully adapted for theatre. Van der Kwast lives in South Tyrol, the most northern part of Italy. ‘Ernest van der Kwast, known as a cross between Borat and Grunberg, who wrote about the hilarious traits of his Indian mother in Mama Tandoori, sings a very different tune in his new book. In a novella and four stories that seem to be inspired by Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs, he writes more subdued and gentle, but above all very convincing about the unattainable love and missed opportunities, and proves to be a romantic who is extremely well versed in the rhythm of melancholy.’ – knack focus

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

y.m. dangre march rooms * ‘His virtuosity is undeniable.’ – Jury Herman de Coninck Prize World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 343 pages For the first time in his life, Ferdinand is alone. His friend Albert is in the hospital, dying. The only person to whom Ferdinand can turn during these blustery March days is Madeleine, of all people, the daughter who has always obstructed his relationship with Albert. What’s more, her mother, Celeste, has seized the opportunity and is trying to reoccupy a place in his life. While Albert’s condition worsens, Ferdinand sinks into deepest despair. In an evocative style that shows his poetic abilities, Y.M. Dangre unravels their complex love life. March Rooms is a subtle tale of old age and guilt, of the universal question that remains at the end of every human life: “Did I do the right thing?”

y.m. dangre (b. 1987) made a striking entrance into the world of letters. His novelistic debut came at the age of twenty-two with The Fruit of the Volcano, which won the Flemish Debut Award. One year later he published the collection of poems entitled Girl Who I Still Will, which won the C. Buddingh’ Prize. March Rooms is his second novel.

‘In a series of classic quarrel scenes, Dangre paints a remark able picture of the relationship between Fernand and Albert. His work certainly does not trivialize the human condition (...) Dangre’s gift lies in the depiction of moments when people no longer know what they are doing or indeed why. Something of a prodigy.’ **** – nrc handelsblad About The Fruit of the Volcano: ‘Dangre seems to come up effortlessly with a host of memorable passages. A wildly talented debutant.’ – de standaard ‘A strikingly precocious debut, in which Dangre regularly combines acute psychological insight with power imagery.’ – de morgen

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chris de stoop matricide * A profoundly dark story of unparalleled beauty World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 206 pages Matricide is based on the true story of Nadia, Eva and Chantal. A young woman, her daughter and her mother are all found dead in their homes. A family conflict, the police say. But what really happened, for God’s sake? It is the story of Nicky, the rebellious sister who has been estranged from her family for the last twenty years, and who now goes in search of what went wrong and what motivated them. A terrible search that brings her to the edge of the abyss. Matricide is based on facts, letters and documents unearthed by Chris de Stoop himself. But he presents his own, personal version in the form of a no-holds-barred literary narrative that keeps the reader in its grip for a long time. He dissects the story and the background material sensitively, profoundly, mercilessly and shockingly. A startling, disturbing and confronting book about a family’s fiasco and the weight of the world.

chris de stoop (b. 1958) is a writer and journalist. He has written both fiction and nonfiction. His debut came in 1992 with the revealing bestseller They’re So Sweet, Sir, which drew positive reviews and made a great impression at home and abroad. In 2004 appeared And They Came from the East, which received the Golden Owl Readers’ Award. Other acclaimed books are The Breach and The Pyrotechnist. Chris de Stoop’s work has been published in translation in more than ten countries. About De Stoop’s earlier work: ‘Literary haute-couture. Pioneering faction. A magnificent book.’ – de standaard ‘An impressive work. Very much a book for our times.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘A gripping portrait. De Stoop shows how detachment and indifference lead to decline.’ – jury report ako literature prize ‘A fantastic, compelling and carefully composed tale.’ – jury report the golden owl award

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

edzard mik mont blanc * Mik at his best in a sensational father-and-son novel World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 304 pages A father, a son and a cousin climb Europe’s highest peak. When the weather suddenly turns nasty, disaster strikes. The cousin falls into a crevasse and dies. Many years later, the son, Ruben, by now an experienced climber with a son of his own, has written a book about that traumatic climb. But Ruben’s version of the facts does not always jibe with his father Hugo’s memories. During a second climb together on the flanks of Mont Blanc, the relationship between father and son reaches the boiling point. When Ruben pushes things to the limits, his father is forced to make a gruesome choice. With Mont Blanc, Edzard Mik proves his literary mastery. He succeeds in combining the tangible excitement of alpine sports with the dramatic family history of a father, a mother and a son caught in an oppressive three-way relationship.

edzard mik (b. 1960) was born in Groningen and lives with his wife and children in Amsterdam. He writes for the periodicals Vrij Nederland and NRC Handelsblad about the visual arts, architecture, literature and the theater. His previous novel, Good Times, was long-listed for the Libris Literature Prize. For Mont Blanc, his eighth book, he carried out research in the Alps.

‘A classic novel about parenthood (…) His best book yet, by far. Better than ever before, Mik succeeds in applying his obvious craftsmanship in the service of the theme he wants to explore.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘Mik’s creativity and craftsmanship are seen in the way he is able to transfer an emotional condition to a concrete, physical situation on a mountain. His imagination is free and natural, credible.’ – de volkskrant ‘Herein lies the success of Edzard Mik: that he is able to place a powerful emotional charge behind all Hugo’s words, images and observations.’ – de groene amsterdammer

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, 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 15,000 copies sold • English material available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • 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. 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 Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

joost conijn pilot of good and evil * The breathtaking journey of an idiosyncratic pilot World rights: De Bezige Bij • Airlog • English sample translation available • Illustrated, 207 pages ‘A plane is made for the air; you build the road yourself as you go along, long straightaways or graceful curves. High in the sky you oversee the whole world.’ In his home-built airplane, Joost Conijn chose to follow a route no one else had ever taken. Starting in Europe, he flew over Africa and so visited the most remote parts of the jungle. He landed on ragged stretches of asphalt and was given food and a place to sleep by the amazed locals, to whom it seemed he had literally dropped in out of the blue. At the mercy of his plane’s construction, the mood swings of local authorities and the elements, Joost Conijn made a marvelous journey. And thanks to his razor-sharp powers of observation and his wonderful literary style, that journey has been preserved for posterity.

joost conijn (b. 1971) is a visual artist, filmmaker and writer. His work has made the longlist for the Prix de Rome and he has been awarded the Charlotte Köhler Prize and the Cobra Art Prize. His work has been displayed at shows at the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam, at Watou in Belgium and at the Biënnale in Venice.

‘In a plane fashioned from dreams and scrap metal, Joost Conijn flies to Africa – a heroic adventure. Not only is Conijn an old-fashioned adventurer, but he can also write wonderfully well; the Wright Brothers and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry molded into one.’ – Tommy Wieringa

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

tom egbers rory storm. king of liverpool, dethroned by the beatles * The fateful story of a man destined to become famous English sample translation available • World rights: Thomas Rap • Biography, 224 pages Rory Storm becomes frontman of a rock ’n’ roll band, Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. The Beatles, who play together with The Hurricanes in Hamburg alternating sets, are friends of Rory’s and they admire him. They are regular visitors at Rory’s home on Broad Green Road in Liverpool. Iris Caldwell, Rory’s sister, is Paul McCartney’s girlfriend. In 1962, John Lennon and Paul McCartney ask Ringo Starr, who is Rory’s drummer, to join The Beatles. Ringo agrees, and that’s the end for Rory and his Hurricanes. Rory flees from Liverpool where he is constantly reminded of what might have been, but never was. He spends some time in Benidorm as a waterski-instructor, before he drives his white Chevrolet Impala up to Amsterdam to start a new life as a deejay. While in Holland he receives a telegram, the contents of which are dramatic. He returns to Liverpool. This will eventually lead to his mysterious death, a few months later.

Rory Storm is not only about music in the late fifties and the early sixties. It is also a portrait of England in that period, the importance of football to most people and it gives an insight of the struggling working classes in a poor Liverpool. tom egbers (b. 1957) is a journalist and writer from Amsterdam. He has been a presenter for Dutch television over the past twenty years. His book The Black Meteor, about the first black football player in Holland, was succesfully adapted for the screen. In 2002 the sequel, Twelve Stolen Years was published. ‘Beautifully written and gripping and a homage to a forgotten hero from Liverpool, who only racked up two flopped singles.’ **** – nrc handelsblad ‘A life is not a story – it is up to the writer to turn it into one. Egbers does it exceptionally well and clearly, without making a mess of history.’ *** – knack

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paul verhoeven & rob van scheers according to verhoeven * A journey through cinematic history with Paul Verhoeven World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction, 311 pages Film greats in the eyes of Holland’s greatest director. In addition to being a major director, Paul Verhoeven is also a fervent cinephile. His highly personal view – combined with an encyclopedic knowledge of historical backgrounds and cinematic techniques – lets him see details that usually escape other people’s notice. In collaboration with his biographer, Rob van Scheers, he provides an entertaining analysis of well-known (Lawrence of Arabia) and supposed (Casablanca) film classics, and shows the reader a different way of looking. Meanwhile, the stories also work at the level of a self-portrait: Paul Verhoeven incorporates many of his own personal recollections. Richly illustrated. A standard work for every lover of culture.

paul verhoeven (b. 1938) is Holland’s most successful director. His resumé includes such national classics as Turkish Delight (1973), Soldier of Orange (1977) and The Fourth Man (1983). After his move to Hollywood, he directed such box-office hits as Robocop (1987), Total Recall (1990), Basic Instinct (1992) and Starship Troopers (1997). For the making of Black Book (2006), he returned temporarily to the Netherlands. In 2008 he published Jesus of Nazareth, a biographical portrait that received a great deal of international attention. rob van scheers (b. 1959) is a reporter on cultural affairs (for Elsevier and De Volkskrant), a writer and a professor-inresidence in film history at the University of Utrecht. His earlier publications include The Big Parade – a hidden history of the 20th century and Paul Verhoeven, the biography. He also worked as co-author on Verhoeven’s Jesus of Nazareth.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, 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 World rights: Thomas Rap • Current affairs • Illustrated, 368 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. 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.

laurens de groot (b. 1980) still works for Sea Shepherd. He currently travels around the world, raising funds for the organization and providing information about the work of these conservationists. But old habits die hard: he has just been hunting whalers again.

Breathtaking. Timely. Newsworthy.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, 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 • Non-fiction, 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.

About Van der Zee’s earlier work: ‘Very well written, enlightening and leading in the genre.’ – telegraaf ‘Engrossing, properly documented and superbly written.’ – de volkskant

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

study sleep make music don't stress make friends be respectable don't drink sweat play choose your parents carefully

rene kahn the ten commandments for the brain * What to do and not do to keep the brain healthy World rights: Balans • Non-fiction, 64 pages We take care of our heart, our muscles, our body. Then why not do the same for our brain? After all, our brain is at least as important for the way we function and just as sensitive to outside influences as our other organs. We know which factors can help our brain grow, shrink less and interact more flexibly with its environment. Everything we should and should not do to keep (or make) our brain healthy can be found in this book – in the form of ten simple commandments.

rene kahn (1954) is Professor of Psychiatry at Utrecht University, head of the Department of Psychiatry at the University Medical Centre and a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of the bestsellers Our Brain (2006) and In the Psychiatrist’s Office (2008). His most recent book The Apple and the Tree was published in April 2012.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

pieter winsemius coincidence is only logical * What we can learn from the oracle Johan Cruijff Over 15,000 copies sold • World rights: Balans • Non-fiction, 160 pages “Coincidence is only logical.” Johan Cruijff always looks at you when he says things like that, as though to say: did you get that? It’s perfectly clear to him, but you sit there, nod in assent and think: what on earth is this man talking about? Until the penny drops and suddenly you understand what he means. Cruijff was and still is an oracle. In the course of the years, his pronouncements have been an inspiration to many. The humor, the matter-of-fact keenness, the sense of reality and the hidden wisdom of much of what Cruijff seems to say so casually give reason again for reflection and examination of one’s own thoughts.

his own observations, opinions and associations. “If I wanted you to understand it, I would have explained it better,” Cruijff once told a journalist. Pieter Winsemius, fortunately, explains everything, and that is a delight – because once you understand him, you can learn a lot. pieter winsemius (b. 1942) is a member of the Netherlands Council for Government Policy, a professor at the University of Tilburg, a former cabinet minister of Health & Environment and the writer of books including Sixteen Million Dutchmen, I Can’t Do it Alone, Big People Don’t Die and the huge bestseller You Only Start Seeing It Once You've Figured it Out (200,000 copies sold).

In 2004, Pieter Winsemius wrote the bestseller You Only Start Seeing It Once You’ve Figured It Out, about Johan Cruijff and leadership. Some 200,000 copies later, he once again examines the essence of Cruijff ’s words and provides them with exegesis and commentary, supplemented with

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

paul scheffer it all plays a role in reality. herman wolf (1893 – 1942) * Partly based on Wolf ’s correspondence with Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig Publication: January 2013 • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Biography, 224 pages In 1899, the Wolfs, a Jewish family from Cologne, report to the immigration service in Amsterdam. Even at an early age, their only child, Herman, shows a great interest in things literary. His biography is a classic tale of the son destined to take over the family business, but who has dreams of his own. In It All Plays a Role in Reality, Paul Scheffer sketches the life story of his grandfather, Herman Wolf, a celebrated philosopher and literary critic in the 1920s and 30s. His motto was: “It all plays a role in reality”. Rationalism and irrationalism were equally dear to him. While the outside world grows increasingly grim, he nurtures his own tolerant sensibilities. Partly on the basis of Wolf ’s hitherto unpublished correspondence with such great writers as Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig, a picture is presented of a generation bowled over by Hitler’s rise. Wolf was one of the few who recognized the threat early on. In the end, the German occupation of the Netherlands would have huge consequences for him as well.

A touching and rich portrait of culture pessimist Herman Wolf, assembled by Paul Scheffer, who during his research into the life and work of his grandfather discovered that the question that characterized Wolf ’s generation also applies to our own: how can humanism defend itself against the rise of nationalism? paul scheffer (b. 1954) worked as a newspaper correspondent in Paris and Warsaw. For the last 15 years he has been a regular columnist for the prominent Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad. His articles have appeared in various major European newspapers. In 2007, he published Country of Arrival, which became a controversial bestseller. His recent publications include Beyond Indifference: Involvement, European-style from 1999 and The Quest for Everlasting Peace in 2000. For the vpro television broadcast organization he made the series Waiting for the Barbarians in 1996 and Living and Working in 1998 – 1999. From 2003 to 2011, Scheffer was extraordinary professor at the University of Amsterdam. He is currently professor of European Studies at the University of Tilburg.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

harry mulisch logbook * ‘I never fantasize. I remember. I remember things that never happened.’ World rights: De Bezige Bij • Memoir, 140 pages Harry Mulisch kept a diary and although it was not intended for publication it has now been made public for the first time. Logbook covers 1991 and 1992, the years when he was busy writing his magnum opus The Discovery of Heaven and became the father of a son. As Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Mulisch was working away on his novel, incorporating a steady stream of ideas and associations that would culminate in a book that brought together everything he had written to date. A “total novel”, as Mulisch himself dubbed it. It was a bizarre and extraordinary period – and now Logbook reveals his experience of it. ‘The end of a wondrous year, disastrous from a political perspective, but for me personally an annus mirabilis,’ Mulisch concludes his diary in 1992.

harry mulisch (1927 – 2010) received countless literary prizes and awards. He is considered one of the three great Dutch post ww ii authors. The literary universe he left behind has been translated in part into more than 36 languages. ‘Mulisch has always known how to tell a story.’ – J.M. Coetzee ‘Harry Mulisch is an important writer who stands at the heart of European history and thought, remaking tradition and inviting a rethinking of conventional judgements.’ – times literary supplement ‘Like Homer, Dante and Milton, Mulisch takes as his setting the cosmos, and his theme is the history and meaning of everything.’ – wall street journal

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

teun berserik vincent van gogh. the early years * The genesis of a painter Publication: November 2012 • World rights: Oog & Blik • Full colour graphic novel, 136 pages In Vincent van Gogh: The Early Years, Teun Berserik offers his readers a glimpse of an unknown period in the life of the world-famous painter: his time in The Hague. As a fledgling artist he moved in with Anton Mauve, who introduced him to his colleagues of the Hague School. But Van Gogh disagreed with the prevailing ideas about painting: he did not paint from casts, but from life. And when he embarked on an affair with Sien, one of his models, life and work became even more tightly interwoven. Meanwhile he came to rely increasingly on the generosity of his brother Theo, because art dealers saw no market for his work. Based on thorough research into this early period of Van Gogh’s career, Berserik’s book highlights the painter’s exceptional talent, his struggle to find his own style and the first signs of the madness that was to engulf him later.

teun berserik is a painter and illustrator. He works for various educational publishers and has created illustrations and cartoons for the Municipal Museum of The Hague and for magazines for both children and adults.

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

joost swarte let's do it this way! * Improving your lot in life in 150 lessons Publication: November 2012 • World rights: Oog & Blik • Full colour graphic novel, 304 pages We all know that there is no such thing as a formula for life. The circumstances behind each decision are always different. But with a keen eye you will find an innovative solution to every problem. To give you an example, we should not go on holiday to get a tan, but visit the tanning salon in advance so we can go and see all the sights abroad. And we should not all stop smoking, but campaign in favour of smoking, because the duty on tobacco raises revenue for the treasury. With these and other unusual solutions – which can all be found in the collection Let’s Do It This Way! – Swarte proves that he has both an extremely keen eye and a wicked sense of humour.

joost swarte (b. 1947) studied industrial design in Eindhoven and founded the Stripdagen, a two-yearly cartoon convention in Haarlem, first held in 1996. His previous book, Is That All There Is, was published simultaneously in five languages.

‘Swarte is a cultural treasure that we should cherish.’ – Chris Ware ‘Swarte combines a fine visual intelligence with a sense of humour and history. He experiments within a tradition, tries things that are daring but look simple. You can’t ignore the courage that is needed to get that far.’ – Art Spiegelman

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

judith vanistendael when david lost his voice * A heart-rending tale of illness and the family World rights: Oog & Blik • Sold to Le Lombard (France), SelfMadeHero (uk), Abrams (usa), Norma (Spain) Reprodukt (Germany), The Open Books (Korea) and Epix (Sweden) • Full colour graphic novel, 280 pages David has cancer, a devastating disease, not only for him, but for his family too. The story begins at the interface of life and death: Miriam gives birth to her first child and immediately afterwards hears that her father has cancer. Tamar, David’s youngest daughter, searches for the precise meaning of death and for a way of keeping a soul alive. Paula cannot stand the thought of her husband deserting her. David’s main wish is to go on one last wonderful trip. Everyone reacts in their own way to David’s inexorable death. In When David Lost His Voice Vanistendael tries to answer the question of how it feels when life pulls the rug from under your feet. When David Lost His Voice is a story that gets under your skin, while fully recognising the elusiveness of existence.

judith vanistendael (b. 1974) is a Flemish strip artist and illustrator. Her first album, the diptych Dancing by the Light of the Moon, based on a short story by her father Geert Van Istendael, appeared between 2007 and 2009. Both parts of Dancing by the Light of the Moon were nominated for the prestigious Grand Prix d’Angoulême. Her début was translated into seven languages. Dancing by the Light of the Moon sold over 10,000 copies. ‘Judith Vanistendael has reinvented herself on When David Lost His Voice. The result is a gripping, beautiful and wonderfully designed graphic novel on life and death.’ – de standaard ‘Monumental graphic novel.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘Vanistendael’s sensitive way of drawing and expressice use of water colouring make this a piercing and heartwarming book.’ – trouw

Translation rights De Bezige Bij Frankfurt 2012, contact h.deinum@debezigebij.nl or m.nagtegaal@debezigebij.nl © text De Bezige Bij

erik kriek from beyond and other tales by h.p. lovecraft * The tales of Lovecraft were never so beautifully drawn World rights: Oog & Blik • Sold to La Cupola (Spain), Actes Sud/L’an 2 (France) and Avant Verlag (Germany) • Winner of the most important Dutch comics award De Stripschapsprijs • B&W graphic novel, 128 pages The dark tales of H.P. Lovecraft have been an immense influence on genre fiction, comics, cinema and popular culture since the author’s untimely death in 1937. That being said, for Erik Kriek, this comic-book adaptation of a small selection of tales is a culmination of a year-long coveted wish coming to fruition. Ever since his late teens, Kriek has been fascinated by Lovecraft and has nurtured a love for the macabre in general. Only now has he reached enough maturity as a graphic storyteller to feel secure enough to engage such a daunting undertaking.

work, but it hopes to introduce new readers to the 20th century’s dark prince of horror as well as pleasing the large community of fans worldwide. ‘From Beyond has it all: it’s exciting, it’s scary, it’s fascinating, it’s blood-curdling, it’s Kriek!’ – het stripschap ‘From Beyond is old-school horror on an unprecedented artistic level. Kriek is a gifted composer: with his pen he captures Lovecraft’s characteristically eerie atmosphere in the blackest ink.’ – striptip ‘This graphic novel is the real deal. A small masterpiece. The nihilistic and depressing texts were made for Kriek’s drawings. The ultimate script writer for the best draughtsman around. From Beyond is a beautiful baby!' – eeuwig weekend

In this graphic compilation the darkly gothic and nihilistic visions of H.P. Lovecraft and the stark, graphic black and white style of Erik Kriek are merged together. It by no means claims to be THE definite comicbook version of H.P. Lovecraft’s

typex rembrandt * A uniquely vivid portrait of Rembrandt’s life, in cooperation with the Rijksmuseum Publication: April 2013 • 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.

jan cleijne heroes of the tour * A graphic history of the Tour de France Publication: May 2013 • World rights: Oog & Blik • Full colour graphic novel, 144 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.

jaron beekes epstein. the brain behind the beatles * The true story of the fifth Beatle Publication: August 2013 • World rights: Oog & Blik • B&W 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

peter buwalda bonita avenue * An impressive, hefty debut novel about the downfall of an ambitious family Over 250,000 copies sold • Sold to Rowohlt (Germany), Actes Sud (France), Mondadori (Italy), Pushkin Press (uk/us), Odeon (Czech Republic), Salamandra (Spain) and Scolar (Hungary) • More than one year in the Dutch Best Seller list • Winner of the Academica Debut Prize 2011 • Winner of the Selexyz Debut Prize 2010 • Winner of 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.

‘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

david van reybrouck congo. a history * The fate of one of the world’s most devastated countries. Over 250,000 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) and Swiat Ksiazki/Weltbild (Poland) • Full German and French translation available • English proposal and sample chapter available • Winner of the ako Literature Prize, the Libris History Prize and the Jan Greshof Prize • History Book of the Year 2012 (damals, German magazine) • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Non-fiction, 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 exten-

sive 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 ‘It’s raining Congo books. But this one outclasses all competition in a spectacular way: it’s more important, more intelligent, written better, yes, even thicker than all others… An incredible tour de force.’ – humo

A.F.Th.van der Heijden

Tonio

Tonio Een requiemroman

a.f.th. van der heijden tonio * A heartrending story that will leave no one untouched Over 170,000 copies sold • Sold to Suhrkamp (Germany), Gondolat (Hungary) and Flower City (China) • Used by a Belgian judge as part of the conviction of a traffic violator • English sample translation available • Full German translation available • Winner of the Libris Literature Prize • Shortlisted the ns readers’ award 2012 • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 633 pages At Pentecost 2010, Tonio – only son of writer A.F.Th. van der Heijden – is hit by a car. He succumbs to his injuries that same day. Tonio is only 21. After that fateful day his parents are faced with the monstrous task of forging ahead with their lives in the knowledge that their only child will never come home again, never again stop by just to watch a dvd, never go out on the street again with his mother in search of the ugliest pair of male calves, never again ask his father: “Did you work well today?” Never again. Never. A.F.Th. van der Heijden is driven by two compelling questions: what happened to Tonio during the final days and hours before the catastrophe, and how could this accident happen? This search takes him past various eyewitnesses, friends, police officers, doctors and the mysterious Jenny,

who turns out to have played a crucial role in Tonio’s life during those final weeks. a.f.th. van der heijden (b. 1951) is one of the great living Dutch authors. His oeuvre consists mainly of two sagas: The Toothless Time and Homo Duplex. Besides he wrote four other requiems, one of which about his father’s death: His Father’s Ashes. In 2011 Van der Heijden won the Constantijn Huygens Award for his entire oeuvre. ‘This requiem for his son Tonio brings out the best in A.F.Th. van der Heijden as a writer.’ – trouw ‘Astonishing. Van der Heijden has produced a moving, virtuoso memorial to his son.’ – het parool ‘Overwhelming.’ – vrij nederland ‘Tonio is a magnificent book.’ – hp | de tijd ‘The paragraphs in which Van der Heijden follows Tonio on his last bike ride with love and concern rank among the finest a human being is capable of...’ – de groene amsterdammer

margriet de moor the painter and the girl * On an unfortunate girl and the brilliant painter Rembrandt 40,000 copies sold • Sold to Hanser (Germany), Turbine Forlaget (Denmark), Maren Sell (France), Neri Pozza (Italy), Folio (Ukraine), Studentska Zalozba (Slovenia), Pistorius (Czech Republic), Fraktura (Croatia) and Dogan Kitap (Turkey) • Full German and French translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 254 pages It is May 3, 1664, the day that an eighteen-yearold girl from Denmark is publicly garroted on the Dam in Amsterdam. Half the city has turned out to see the execution. The painter of the novel’s title has no desire to attend. His thoughts are occupied by his recently deceased wife and an important canvas which he has set up and for which he has bought the materials that same morning: red and golden pigments. Later that day he hears from his son the grisly details of the girl’s last moments, and he rows to the place where she has been hung.

margriet de moor (b. 1941) is one the most important Dutch female authors. First Grey, then White, then Blue won the AKO Literature Prize in 1992. Her work has been translated into 24 languages. The Painter and the Girl is her first novel with De Bezige Bij. On Margriet de Moor: ‘She writes lyrical prose, and her stories about life are quiet and full of beauty.’ – Marcel Reich-Ranicki ‘Margriet de Moor sketches the philosophical ferment lightly but effectively, giving just the right amount of political and historical detail.’ – new york times On The Painter and the Girl: ‘An extremely rich novel on death, imagination and eternity.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘Another novel about art. But a great one. Margriet de Moor takes a big risk – and wins.’ … ‘It is, as ever in her work, about the relationship between life and art. An equally bold and terrific novel .’ – frankfurter rundschau

erwin mortier a stammered songbook * The relentless chronicle of an illness Over 30,000 copies sold • Sold to Acantilado (Spain), Fayard (France) and W.A.B. (Poland) • English sample translation available • World rights: De Bezige Bij • Novel, 192 pages When his novel Sleep of the Gods appeared in 2008, Erwin Mortier was praised as a supreme and sublime author. His latest novel, A Stammered Songbook, is a reconfirmation of his enormous talent. It is the portrait of Mortier’s mother, who has Alzheimer’s. Without having arranged things beforehand, she is gradually overpowered by the illness. Her husband and children can only view her anguish and see how the woman they knew slowly slips away. Mortier describes that cruel process in loose fragments: “Today my mother dusted me, she thought I was a piece of furniture. Maybe a chest of drawers or an old stove. She ran a bright yellow cloth over the buttons on my shirt, up to my neck, flapped it around my ears, dusted my chin. Then she gestured to me to open my mouth – and stuffed the dust cloth into that and forgot all about us.”

A Stammered Songbook is a heartbreaking story, written by a son graced with the gift of being able to transform this account into a literary and universal masterpiece. erwin mortier (b. 1965) made his literary debut in 1999 with the novel Marcel (awarded, among other prizes, with the Gerard Walschap Literature Prize). His novel Sleep of the Gods appeared in 2008, signaling his breakthrough to a broader reading public, winning him the 2009 ako Literature Prize and selling over 120,000 copies. ‘Erwin Mortier surpasses himself. This is more than an immense gripping literary confession on the Alzheimer disease. It’s an essential book. Impressive. Mortier digs at least one diamond each page.’ – de standaard ‘A Stammered Songbook is less predictable and more surprising than most books in this genre.’ – nrc handelsblad ‘Erwin Mortier catches his mother’s dementia in sensitive and refined prose.’ – trouw

linda polman war games * What´s wrong with the aid industry Over 15,000 copies sold • Sold to: Metropolitan (usa), Campus (Germany), Czarne (Poland), Arneberg (Norway), Leopard (Sweden), Bruno Mondadori (Italy), Shalem Press (Israel) Penguin/Viking (uk) and Toyo Keizai (Japan) • World rights: Balans • Current affairs, 224 pages ‘Imagine receiving a phone call from the Nazis: You may deliver aid to the concentration camps, but the camp management will decide how much of it goes to its own staff and how much to the prisoners.’ What do you do? Linda Polman starts her book with a bang with this dilemma. It is the question that humanitarian organizations wrestle with, whether to remain neutral or to withdraw if wrongful use is made of their assistance. The issue is more pressing than ever, since the vast majority of today’s war victims are civilians. The aid industry ‘are businesses in a market of supply and demand dressed up as Mother Teresa, but that is not the way we see them,’ writes Polman. Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, spoke of the ‘human desire to lighten a little the torments of poor wretches’. Polman’s book makes clear that the recipients of humanitarian aid are not necessarily well served by this desire.

linda polman is a Dutch freelance journalist. She published her reportages, columns and analyses in Dutch newspapers and magazines, as well as in international newspapers such as The Times and Granta (London), l’Internazionale (Rome) and Expressen (Stockholm). She is also the author of four published books which have been translated in several languages. ‘A disturbing account that raise profound questions.’ – financial times ‘Particularly timely just now (…) Her style is brusque (…) with a satirist’s taste for gallows humor.’ – Philip Gourevitch, The New Yorker ‘Marvellous, cool, fearless, caries echos of Evelyn Waugh and Graham Greene.’ – The Guardian ‘One of the finest reporting journalists of the modern age.’ – Evening Standard ‘War Games is a blood-boilingly good polemic that should knock a few halos off.’ – Sunday Telegraph