Benjamin Fro
(Netherlands, 1994; given name Adam Bais) is a music and word artist with more than 400K streams on Spotify, who once described himself as a philosophical rapper who creates hip hop music. But he's so much more than that. His first solo album, Praten Over Leven (Talking About Life, 2017), is full of hip hop grooves, nods to fellow rappers and, above all, a strong mix of musical genres. His second album, Behave (2018), criticizes the Dutch "just be normal" mentality via soulful beats. Fro's 2019 EP In the City, about identity, gentrification, love and spirituality in a world where money and status are paramount, did well, followed in 2020 by the EP I Love Them.
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Writing Climate (In)justice - #StillWeRise
With: Alexis Wright, Benjamin Fro, Chihiro Geuzebroek, Fiep van Bodegom, Leena Norms, Sanam Sheriff
More and more authors are giving the climate and the climate crisis a prominent role in their work. Think of the recent novels of Eva Meijer, Margaret Atwood and Richard Powers, for example. Few, however, dare to address the subject of climate inequality or climate racism.
1:50 - Alexis Wright (Australia), interview.
32:55 - Chihiro Geuzebroek (Netherlands), spoken word.
38:09 - Benjamin Fro (Netherlands), spoken word.
41:47 - Sanam Sheriff (US), video reading.
47:28 - Leena Norms (UK), spoken word.
50:18 - Chihiro Geuzebroek / Benjamin Fro (Netherlands), interview.
1:03:11 - Sanam Sheriff (US), interview.
1:10:38 - Leena Norms (UK), interview.
1:20:34 - Benjamin Fro (Netherlands), song performance.All too often, you hear the expression, "we're all in the same boat". We are indeed all caught up in the same rough seas of the climate crisis. But social-economic status, skin colour and geographic location determine whether one weathers the storm aboard a luxury cruise liner or a leaky raft. It is the opinion of programme maker Joëlle Koorneef that it's up to us to use all our literary capabilities to put this on the agenda.
The novel The Swan Book (2013) by Aboriginal author Alexis Wright takes place in a future world destroyed by extreme climate change. Due to drought, forest fires and dying coral reefs, Australia is a forerunner in experiencing the effects of the climate crisis. In Wright's work, the continent is an almost dystopian literary setting in which injustices continue to multiply.
Fiep van Bodegom, a writer, translator and editor with literary magazine De Gids, talked with Wright about the value of literature in the context of the climate crisis and the position of the writer to spur (climate) activism.
We provided fragments of Wright's work - distinguished by its raw, living language - to spoken-word artists and poets to use the power of their words to make this subject comprehensible in every way. Live from the Theater aan het Spui, these included the rebellious and deeply engaged word, rap and music artist Benjamin Fro and the filmmaker, performer and activist Chihiro Geuzebroek. There were also impressive video contributions by British poet, YouTube star and literary video essayist Leena Norms and the Indian poet and word artist Sanam Sheriff.
With Van Bodegom, they discussed how they shape their artistry as well as a desire for a more just world. Is it a balancing act, or is it the only way they can profess their artistry?
The Winternachten International Literature Festival signaled that a new generation is now rising up that doesn't view art and activism as opposing poles but operates fluidly between them. During the festival we encouraged giving this movement a voice and sharing sources of inspiration in a dedicated Facebook group.
Read here the contributions written for this programme on request of the Winternachten international literature festival The Hague:
- The Farmer's Great-Granddaughter | Leena Norms | video poem
- Sanam Sheriff
- Benjamin Fro
- Chihiro Geuzebroek | Dammed People
(Find the Dutch-language versions here/Lees hier de Nederlandstalige versies)Learn more here:
Fiep van Bodegom
Onpeilbaar - Over natuur, land en eigendom, essay, 2020, Mister MotleyBenjamin Fro
website
YouTube MusicChihiro Geuzebroek
website
InstagramJoëlle Koorneef
InstagramAlexis Wright
Publisher Giramondo's webpage on Wright's bokks and videos -
#StillWeRise: Writing Climate (In)Justice
With: Alexis Wright, Benjamin Fro, Chihiro Geuzebroek, Fiep van Bodegom, Leena Norms, Sanam Sheriff
More and more authors are giving the climate and the climate crisis a prominent role in their work. Consider, for example, the recent novels of Eva Meijer, Margaret Atwood and Richard Powers. Few, however, dare to tackle the subject of climate inequality or climate racism.
All too often, you hear the expression, "we're all in the same boat". We are indeed all caught in the same rough seas of the climate crisis. However, social-economic status, skin colour and geographic location determine whether one weathers the storm aboard a luxury cruise ship or a leaky raft. Program producer Joëlle Koorneef believes that it's up to us to use all of our literary capabilities to put this issue on the agenda.
Aboriginal author Alexis Wright's novel The Swan Book (2013) takes place in a future world destroyed by extreme climate change. Due to drought, forest fires and dying coral reefs, Australia is a forerunner in terms of experiencing the effects of the climate crisis. In Wright's work, the continent is an almost dystopian literary setting in which injustices keep multiplying.
Fiep van Bodegom, a writer, translator and editor with the literary magazine De Gids, talked with Wright about the value of literature in the context of the climate crisis and the position of the writer to spur (climate) activism.
We provided fragments of Wright's work - distinguished by its raw and vital language - to spoken-word artists and poets to use the power of their words to make this subject tangible. Performing live at Theater aan het Spui, these included the rebellious and deeply engaged word, rap and music artist Benjamin Fro and the filmmaker, performer and activist Chihiro Geuzebroek. Impressive video contributions by British poet, YouTube star and literary video essayist Leena Norms and the India-born poet and word artist Sanam Sheriff rounded out the evening.
With Van Bodegom, they discussed how they shape their artistry as well as a desire for a more just world. Is it a balancing act, or is it the only way they can practise their art?
The Winternachten International Literature Festival signaled a new generation on the rise, which doesn't view art and activism as opposites, but operates fluidly between them. During the festival we helped give this movement a voice by launching a dedicated Facebook group on 7 January to encourage discussion and share sources of inspiration.
You can read the pieces commissioned for this program by the Winternachten International Literature Festival The Hague here:
- The Farmer's Great-Granddaughter | Leena Norms | video poem
- Sanam Sheriff
- Benjamin Fro
- Dammed People | Chihiro Geuzebroek
(Find the Dutch-language versions here/Lees hier de Nederlandstalige versies)More background:
Fiep van Bodegom
Onpeilbaar - Over natuur, land en eigendom, essay, 2020, Mister MotleyBenjamin Fro
website
YouTube MusicChihiro Geuzebroek
website
InstagramJoëlle Koorneef
InstagramAlexis Wright
Giramondo Publishing webpage with Wright's books and videos