International Literature Festival The Hague

Winternachten 2023

Sun 12 February - Fri 21 April 2023

All the World's a Book

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances..."
William Shakespeare, As You Like It

This 2023 Winternachten festival edition carried the motto All the world's a book. Why do writers write and readers read books? To get a grip on the world. In a novel, you can imagine a different reality. Not surprising in these turbulent times, and for Winternachten's writers and readers, perhaps even a necessity.

While the war in Ukraine deeply affects the Ukrainian people, Europe and the whole world, and various crises dramatically change Earth, people continue to write and read books: to understand, to change and to escape. And sometimes even to laugh. The whole world can be found in literature, in a book.

Winternachten 2023 presented topical themes to authors and visitors by readings, interviews and debate. Such as the upcoming commemoration of the abolition of slavery, 150 years ago, by The Netherlands in Suriname and in the Antilles islands. How did slavery enter the literary imagination, and what influence did it have on the development of language and literature? How do authors in a war-ridden country, Ukraine, write about their lives? How does an author create a new world in his books, and why? And how does the depletion of Earth become audible and palpable in language and poetry?

Retrospect

Sunday 12 February 2023

14:30 - 17:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

Haagse literatuurprijzen: a festive programme celebrating The Hague's Literary Award winners

With Marion Bloem, Donald Niedekker, Dominique De Groen, Marjan Slob, Sinan Can, Kaja Wolffers, Obe Alkema, Hasan Gök, Amara van der Elst and the Jonge Stadsdichter. Musical performances by LUWTEN, Hashem Kabreet and Orchestre Partout. In Dutch

The Winternachten festival 2023 opened with prose, poetry, spoken word, music and the ceremony of the literary prizes of the City of the The Hague. The prize winners Marion Bloem, Donald Niedekker, …

Sunday 12 March 2023

14:25 - 22:00

Theater aan het Spui

Day ticket 12 March 2023

Winternachten day ticket for the programmes 'The World According to Cusk' (14:30-17:00) and 'Literary focus: Ukraine' (19:30-22:00).

VWith discountto the entire Winternachten festival day Sunday 12 March 2023, at Theater aan het Spui in The Hague! Your festival day started at 14:30 with the programme The World According to Cusk …

14:30 - 17:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

The World According to Cusk

World-renowned author Rachel Cusk in conversation with Niña Weijers, with readings by Sophie van Winden, music by Meral Polat and mini-lectures by Ianthe Mosselman and Fleur Speet. In English.

On the afternoon of Sunday 12 March, a world-renowned writer came to The Hague: English author Rachel Cusk. She was interviewed by Dutch writer Niña Weijers on her books and themes. The event in Zaal …

19:30 - 22:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

Literary Focus: Ukraine

On the role of books and writing in war times with authors Stanislav Aseyev (Ukraine), Tanja Maljartschuk (Austria), Sasha Marianna Salzmann (Germany), Aleksandr Skorobogatov (Belgium). Music by Oleg Lysenko. In English.

More than a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we took stock with authors Stanislav Aseyev (Ukraine), Tanja Maljartschuk (Austria), Sasha Marianna Salzmann (Germany) and Aleksandr Skorobogat…

Thursday 13 April 2023

16:00 - 17:00

Speakers' Corner Haagse Hogeschool

Raoul de Jong in De Haagse Hogeschool

Interview met de schrijver van o.a. 'Jaguarman' en Boekenweekessay 'Boto Banja'.

Raoul de Jong was the interview guest of The Lighthouse/De Haagse Hogeschool and the Winternachten festival on Thursday afternoon 13 April 2023. In the conversation (free entrance), the writer sppke …

Sunday 16 April 2023

14:25 - 22:00

Theater aan het Spui

Day ticket 16 April 2023

Winternachten day ticket for the programmes 'Connecting Stories' (14:30-17:00) and 'All the World's Excuses' (19:30-22:00).

A discounted visit to the entire Winternachten festival day Sunday 16 April 2023, in Theater aan het Spui in The Hague! Your festival day started at 14:30 with the programme Verhalen die verbinden …

14:30 - 17:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

Verhalen die verbinden (Connecting Stories)

About the significance of 150 years of abolition of slavery; with Astrid H. Roemer, Tessa Leuwsha, Babs Gons, Daphne Huisden, Shantie Singh, Angel ArunA, Rabin Baldewsingh. Music by Holland Baroque, Lucretia Starke and Artur den Hartog.

Dark, forgotten and forbidden pages: it is taking a long time for the colonial history of the Netherlands to penetrate our collective memory. But history has many forms of transmitting lore, of which …

19:30 - 22:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 1

All the World's Excuses

Writers and poets on 150 years of abolition of slavery; including Caleb Azumah Nelson, David Diop, Chika Unigwe, Astrid H. Roemer, Rachida Lamrabet, Neske Beks, Radna Fabias, Dean Bowen, Shantie Singh and Sarita Bajnath. Music: Angel ArunA. In English

In the Winternachten festival programme All the World's Excuses , prominent authors Chika Unigwe (US, a.o. On Black Sisters' Street ), David Diop (France, International Booker Prize-winner for At …

Friday 21 April 2023

20:30 - 22:00

Theater aan het Spui - Zaal 2

De grondstof van het gedicht (The raw material of poems)

Poetry, performance, dance, music and images with Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, Mustafa Stitou, Alara Adilow, Asha Karami, Marwin Vos, Irina Baldini, Johan van Dijke, Caro Derkx, Dean Bowen, Martin Rombouts, Maxime Garcia Diaz, Willie Darktrousers and others.

For the closing event of the 2023 Winternachten festival, poets and artists seeked out the raw material of poems. How do the violence of resource extraction, the destruction of lives and worlds, and …