UCL Dutch

Joost Zwagerman will be Dutch Writer in Residence at UCL in 2010/11. The Writer in Residence, supported by the Nederlands Letterenfonds, will engage with students and staff in the department and actively contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.

Joost Zwagerman’s debute novel De houdgreep was published in 1986. His second and third novels Gimmick! (1989) and Vals licht (1991) were adapted for theatre and screen (by Theo van Gogh) respectively and he received the prestigious AKO literatuurprijs for the latter. The acclaimed novels Chaos en Rumoer, Zes Sterren and De buitenvrouw followed. Besides books, Joost Zwagerman also publishes poetry and essays and writes regular columns for the for the NRC Handelsblad. For his most recent poetry bundle Roeshoofd hemelt he was awarded the Awater poetry prize. Among his essay work are Pornotheek Arcadië and Het vijfde seizoen, published in 2001 and 2003.

To a Dutch audience he is also known as host of the programme Zomergasten on Dutch television and appeared on stage with fellow Dutch writer Ronald Giphart. In Januari 2008 Joost Zwagerman was awarded the ‘Gouden Ganzeveer’, as a reward for his work as an extraordinary addition to the Dutch written culture. He lives with his wife and children in Amsterdam. The work of Joost Zwagerman is translated into a dozen languages, including English, German, French and Japanese.

More information about Joost Zwagerman can be found on his website.