Nominated for the E. du Perron Prize 2022/23: Karin Amatmoekrim, Niña Weijers, and Frank Nellen
Writers Karin Amatmoekrim, Niña Weijers, and Frank Nellen have been nominated for the E. du Perron Prize 2022/23. The jury of the prize (Aly van Berckel, Eline Peeters, Sander Bax, Ad Backus, and Odile Heynders) has nominated three books, using the writing of Du Perron as a guide and inspiration. The presentation ceremony will take place on May 16 before the start of Night University, in the Marga Klompé building of Tilburg University. Ellen Deckwitz, essayist, columnist, and city poet of Amsterdam, will present the E. du Perron Lecture.
These are the three nominated titles:
"What Kind of Country Am I Actually Living In? Anil Ramdas: Impossible Cosmopolitan" by Karin Amatmoekrim (Prometheus 2023)
In this beautifully written biography (also defended as a dissertation at Leiden University), Amatmoekrim describes the life and work of Anil Ramdas (1958-2012) from his birth in Paramaribo to his self-chosen death. Ramdas was a public intellectual; he wrote, hosted television programs, and was prominently involved in societal debates. His stance was critically analytical, his words sharp and effective, and he was capable of noticing and connecting multiple perspectives. Amatmoekrim tells the story of his life and thereby also the colonial history of Suriname and the Netherlands. Ramdas became a representative of postcolonial criticism of Dutch complacency. His novel "Badal" (2012) was a stunning self-portrait. Amatmoekrim shows his many facets, talents, and roles, describing the tragic figure that Ramdas was in all his courage.
"Cassandra" by Niña Weijers (Augustus / Atlas Contact 2023)
During a period of guest writing in Almere, Niña Weijers became fascinated by the story of the disappearance of a young seventeen-year-old woman, Cassandra van Schaijk, in March and April 2007. The woman's body was eventually found in the Noorderplassen. Weijers seems to be writing a true crime story but is also interested in something else: the behavior of groups of young people who are increasingly sympathizing with right-wing populism. The writer questions what it means to live in a Dutch provincial city designed on the drawing board, what happens when facts are imagined, what looking away entails. Is a non-fiction story really non-fiction? Weijers explores this in crystal-clear language, intertwining facts and perspectives and also examining herself. The text is breathtaking in its description of ordinary life that suddenly derails.
"The Invisibles" by Frank Nellen (Hollands Diep 2023)
Frank Nellen has written an impressive cinematic novel depicting life at the end of the Soviet era. The novel revolves around the friendship of two young men - one a lanky figure, the other engaged - but it does not reveal everything, leaving much to the imagination and interpretation of the reader. The atmosphere is stifling and magical, with some passages (such as a phenomenal scene in an empty factory hall full of water) resembling dreamlike visions or magical-realistic paintings. The style is precise, with occasional restrained irony. The hopelessness of the people in the eastern region of Europe resonates with images of Ukraine that we see today. The fiction touches on reality.
E. du Perron Prize
The E. du Perron Prize is an initiative of the municipality of Tilburg and Tilburg University. The prize has been awarded since 1986 and is intended for writers or artists who, like Du Perron in his time, identify and break boundaries to stimulate mutual understanding between different population groups.
The biennially awarded prize consists of a cash amount of €10,000 and a textile object, designed by studio 'by aaaa' (Moyra Besjes and Natasja Lauwers) and manufactured at the Textiel Museum in Tilburg. Previous winners include Sinan Çinkaya (2020/21), Margot Vanderstraeten (2017), Stefan Hertmans (2016), Mohammed Benzakour (2013), and Ramsey Nasr (2011).
Attendance
For attendance at the public award ceremony and lecture (4:30 PM - 6:00 PM), interested parties and invitees can register via the button below.
Note to the Press
The E. du Perron Prize 2022/23 will be awarded on Thursday afternoon, May 16 at 4:30 PM. For program and location, see E. du Perronlezing by Ellen Deckwitz | Tilburg University. More information about the prize can be found at: www.tilburguniversity.edu/duperronprijs. Need more information? Call or email Odile Heynders (o.m.heynders@tilburguniversity.edu, +31 13 466 3131).