On Saturday 20 June, the Anton Wachter Prize will be awarded in Harlingen. The prize is named after the title character of eight novels by Simon Vestdijk and is the most prestigious debut prize for Dutch-language novels. The prize is awarded every two years.
For the 2026 edition, the jury received nearly one hundred novels. All of them have been read and assessed. Jury chair Geart de Vries will present the jury report, after which Mayor Ina Sjerps will award the prize.
The programme starts at 1:30 PM and includes an opening by Jolianne Hellemans (director of Bibliotheken Noord Fryslân), the presentation of the Ina Damman Prize by Hans van Velzen (chair of the Vestdijkkring), music by Jankobus Seunnenga and Dick Vestdijk, and the awarding of the Anton Wachter Prize. The programme ends at 4:00 PM.
The award ceremony itself is sold out. After the ceremony, the Literair Festival Harlingen begins at 4:30 PM.
