What happens when a psychotic experience not only disrupts, but also becomes a source of creativity? Writer and essayist Huub Mous explores this question in his lecture following his new book De waan van het schrijven – Harry Mulisch and Creative Psychosis.
At age 22, Mulisch was overwhelmed by visions, revelations and associations. While rewriting his debut novel, he managed to transform these destabilising experiences into literature. Writing became for Mulisch more than making a book: it became a form of ‘autocreation’, a process in which disruption and self-creation became closely intertwined.
Mous questions whether psychosis should be viewed solely as a psychiatric condition, or also as a crisis that can be part of change and development. He draws surprising connections with language, art and artificial intelligence.
The lecture has a strongly personal character. Through Mulisch, Mous returns to his own psychosis in 1966. His own experiences with writing – where texts sometimes seemed to emerge without him consciously conceiving them – form an important layer in his story.
The manuscript of De waan van het schrijven was awarded the Van Helsdingenprijs from the Stichting Psychiatrie en Filosofie in 2025.
Doors open from 7:30 PM. Seating is limited. Those interested are asked to register in advance via huubmous@gmail.com.
