Martijn Knol
(Zeist, NL, 1973) was a comedian and worked in advertising before writing his 2003 debut De Duiker (The Diver), whichrecreates a striking portrait of an era through the distinctive speech of three students. The romantic tragedy Aphinar followed in 2007, in which Knol alternates between angry interior monologues and a sensual and tarnished love story. His major novel Alles kan kapot (Everything Kaputt) was published in 2011, about the fates of three generations of a family. The book owes a literary debt to Céline, Woolf, and David Foster Wallace (among others), but above all it shows off an authentic and innovative voice. Anything is possible in Knol's work. The dead can rise from their ashes and demand to regain their position in a book. Knol also likes to play with language and style. The Dutch Literary Fund chose Alles kan kapot as one of the best Dutch books of 2011. Besides novels, Knol writes short stories, essays, blogs, and criticism, and is an editor with the literary magazine Tirade. He's currently at work on a new novel.
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Archive available for: Martijn Knol
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Ways of Dialogue Lebanon
With: Maaza Mengiste, Martijn Knol, Usha K R, Vamba Sherif, Witold Szabłowski
Van 13 tot en met 20 november reisden vier schrijvers met Writers Unlimited naar Libaonon, voor een tournee van een week naar Beiroet, Tyre, Baaklin, Beqaa en Tripoli. Martijn Knol (Nederland), Witold Szablowski (Polen), Vamba Sherif (Liberia/Nederland) en Usha Kuniga Ramaswamy (India), treden samen met Libanese schrijvers en dichters op. Uit Libanon namen deel de schrijvers Hanan Al Shaykh, Sawsan alAbtah, Rasha alAmir, Abbass Beydoun, Youssef Bazzi, Mark Daou, Maya elHajj, Zena el Khalil, Iman Humaydan, Hussam Itani, Hala Kawtharani, Roseanne Khalaf, Issa Makhlouf , Sahar Mandour, Bilal Orfali , Alawiyah Sobh, Assaad Thebian, Fadi elTofeili, Fawzi Yammine, Hyam Yared, Khaled Ziadeh en Rewa Zeinati.
Rond het thema 'Ways of Dialogue' droegen de schrijvers voor uit eigen werk en lazen ze fragmenten uit hun literaire traditie. Centrale thema's in de programma's waren de verschillende tradities in deling van macht en besluitvorming. Het was de tweede tournee in een serie in de Arabische wereld. De eerste in de serie vond plaats in mei 2016 in Marokko. Deze tournee was een samenwerkingsproject met PEN Libanon. De optredens waren zowel voor algemeen publiek, als voor studenten van middelbare scholen en universiteiten.
Dit project van Writers Unlimited wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door het Nederlandse Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken. PEN Libanon werkt voor dit project samen met o.a. Centre for Arts and Humanities (CAH), American University of Beirut; Centre for Arab and Middle Eastern studies (CAMES) en Aaliya's Bookshop, Jemayzeh, Beirut.
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SATURDAY NIGHT UNLIMITED
With: Martijn Knol, Simon(e) van Saarloos
The varied Saturday night programme on 17 January (together with the Friday night programme) forms the heart of the festival, with dozens of events on five stages.
Writers, poets and audience members come together for various programmes in a festive and informal atmosphere. The authors present work commissioned by the festival, read from their books, or discuss current issues.
There are programmes in English and in Dutch, making a "Language No Problem" enjoyment of the evening possible. You can see the schedule below, or download it here as a pdf.
Saturday guests include Karen Amstrong (UK), Reggie Baay, Wim Brands, Ian Buruma (US/NL), Jennifer Clement (US/Mexico), Leela Corman (US), Adriaan van Dis, Mira Feticu (NL/Romania), Louise O. Fresco, Dominique Goblet (Belgium), David Grossman (Israel), Stefan Hertmans, Bas Heijne, Cynthia McLeod (Suriname), Maaza Mengiste (US/Ethiopia), Nii Ayikwei Parkes (Ghana/UK), Gustaaf Peek, Nina Polak, David Van Reybrouck (Belgium), Vamba Sherif, Shantie Singh, Witold Szabłowski (Poland), and many more. One ticket allows access to all events.
Programme is subject to change.
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Poets in the House
Saturday Night Unlimited ends on a festive note with poetic presentations by writers who not only produce wonderful prose but also have a poet's heart beating within. Come listen to David Grossman's reading from Falling Out of Time, and to poems by Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Jennifer Clement, and Stefan Hertmans. With improvisations on cello by Ernst Reijseger. In Dutch and English.
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We're Not Holding Our Breath for a Good Book
Philosopher Maxim Februari and writer Martijn Knol are passionate readers. In which novels do they feel at home, and in which ones would they absolutely not want to live? A playful and personal exchange. In Dutch.
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Tirade about someone called Walter van den Berg
Editors of the literary magazine Tirade and several writers climb on to the soapbox in the foyer and hold a Tirade, as appeared in the anniversary edition of Tirade. Walter van den Berg holds a tirade against the writer Walter van den Berg who is not a character but a writer, whose name is Walter van den Berg, who hurt someone.
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Tirade against ready-to-eat chunks of literature
Editors of the literary magazine Tirade and several writers climb on to the soapbox in the foyer and hold a Tirade, as appeared in the anniversary edition of Tirade 450. Martijn Knol rants on about easy pieces: ready-to-eat chunks of literature.
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Tirade to dispel loneliness
Editors of the literary magazine Tirade and several writers climb on to the soapbox in the foyer and hold a Tirade, as appeared in the anniversary edition of Tirade 450. The last one tonight is by Lieke Marsman. She cannot read it hearself because of health reasons. Martijn Knol reads her tirade to dispel loneliness.
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Wanna Know a Secret?
Get to know a new generation of writers and listen to them reading mysterious passages from their novels. An exciting hour with Dutch stories from home and abroad. In Dutch.
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Wintercafe 3: VPRO De Avonden Live
In the second hour of De Avonden poet and performer Hagar Peeters tells how she incorporates Utopian Thinking in her new book Wasdom. Writer and cabaret artist Martijn Knol writes a manual of how we can indeed build a new Utopia together for the 21st century. It is a passionate and concrete plea for a new world community. Motivational speaker and spoken word artist Omékongo Dibinga will convince the audience in a short performance that personal happiness is within reach. Tim Parks and David Mitchell talk to each other on the need of the imagination of a better world in their own work. Hosts: Jeroen van Kan and Catherine van Campen. Broadcast live on VPRO Radio. In Dutch and English.
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Wintercafé 4: Late Night Utopia
Jeroen van Kan talks to Marja Pruis about her collected essays on literature. What is the happiness of writing about the minutest details? The Congolese/American spoken word artist Omékongo Dibinga enters into a poetic battle with Martijn Knol and Hagar Peeters on the feasibility of a better world. In Dutch and English.
