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Welcome at Writers Unlimited
Winternachten Festival The HagueFrom January 17 to 20, 2013, Writers Unlimited Winternachten Festival The Hague brought 100 writers, poets, thinkers and musicians from all parts of the world together with their audiences.PROGRAMME 2013 The 2014 festival will be held form 17 to 19 January. "The word here is held sacred. Books are read, treasured, held in the highest regard. Writers mingled with audiences alike, people were provoked, titillated and thrilled. And we danced, ate, and drank together. Alliances were formed, encounters emerged. Energy was exchanged as our networks continue to spread across the continents." (Bernice Chauly / Malaysia) "I had such a great time at the festival, I met very interesting people, at a point I didn't want it to end." (visitor's reaction) "For someone who goes to quite a few specialist comic book conventions it was interesting to see a broader scope of people and artistic endeavour. What I liked? Most of (...) read more |
Welcome
|  TO THE TREASURE ROOMMissed the festival? Looking for your favourite author? On these pages you'll find video's, sound-recordings, photographs and extensive descriptions of the hundreds of programmes since 1995, in The Netherlands and other countries. Including bio's of more than a thousand participants. read more |
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Minister Bussemaker opened this year's festival
Hanan-Al-Shaykh with impressive Winternachten lecture on shame in Arabic cultureFor those who weren't there, below the text of the Winternachtenlecture by the Lebanese writer Hanan-Al-Shaykh, as read on Thursday evening 17 January on the opening night of the festival in Theater aan het Spui in The Hague.Shame Have I ever felt shame? Yes, I have, and to be honest with you I feel ashamed to mention it, at the beginning of my talk, maybe I’ll tell you later. I was born and raised in Beirut where shame, aib in Arabic was, and still is a contagious disease, it’s almost the oxygen we breathe. When I heard it used at school it made sense somehow when a student stole a pencil sharpener from her friend, but it didn’t when I heard it in our house when a relative confessed and moaned, “Yes, I sold my property in order to send my son to college” and then he took his head in his hands and wept, exclaiming “I am all shame, all shame!” A woman friend of the (...) read more | Amos Oz visited The Hague
Prominent Israeli author Amos Oz came to the Netherlands exclusively for the Writers Unlimited Festival in The Hague. For the first time in years he performed in our country. He presented his new novel Between Friends.Ob Friday evening 18 January Amos Oz performed in the opening programme of Winternacht 1 in Theater aan het Spui. He talked with Adriaan van Dis, moderated by Bas Heijne. Read more here. His second performance was on Saturday afternoon 19 January, also in Theater aan het Spui. Michel Krielaars, editor of the book pages of NRC Handelsblad, talked with him. Read more here on the programme. (...) read more | On Saturday afternoon: | Syrian journalist recipient of Oxfam Novib/PEN-Award
The award ceremony was part of the Writers Unlimited Festival 2013On Thursday 17 January writer and PEN boardmember Manon Uphoff presented the Oxfam Novib/PEN Award in Theater aan het Spui, as part of the Writers Unlimited Winternachten festival The Hague. Laureate Samar Yazbek witnessed the brutal violence against demonstrating citizens in her country. She published about it, was severely threatened and consequently had to leave the country.The Oxfam Novib/PEN Awards are given out annually to writers and journalists who are prosecuted or have (...) read more |
From January 17 to 20, 2013, Writers Unlimited Winternachten Festival The Hague brings writers, poets, thinkers and musicians from all parts of the world together with their audiences. They share their work, their experiences, their dreams and ideas. Across borders of languages and cultures. 
