Writer Sytse Jansma from Harlingen is receiving a project grant of €15,000 from the Dutch Foundation for Literature to write his first novel. The funding comes from the ‘Project Grants for Book Creators’ scheme, one of the most important support programs for authors in the Netherlands. The novel is set to be published by Afûk in 2027.
Jansma was selected from a group of fifty authors. The Dutch Foundation for Literature announced the list of successful applicants on Tuesday, June 30.
The 45-year-old writer, who publishes with Atlas Contact and Afûk, has gained national and Flemish recognition for his poetry in recent years. His acclaimed collection Rozige maanvissen earned him the Cees Buddingh’ Prize in 2024 and the Flemish Poetry Debut Prize in 2025. The new grant was awarded partly based on the quality of his previous work.
For his debut novel, Jansma is returning to Frisian as his literary language. The novel will be an eclectic, magical-realist narrative set in the metropolis of Brussels. To prepare, he spent time in the Belgian capital on several occasions during a writing residency.
‘It will be a hybrid form—part personal quest, part novel of ideas, and part city novel,’ says Jansma. ‘Writing a novel is new to me, but I am enjoying it immensely.’ He is reluctant to reveal much about the content at this stage, though he does note that the book will be very different from Rozige maanvissen. ‘What connects the two books is an exploration of the fundamental questions of the human condition.’
The grant allows the author to free up time to focus entirely on the writing process. In addition, the funding covers research and the necessary trips to Brussels. The novel is scheduled for publication in 2027 by the publishing house Afûk.
‘This grant gives me the peace of mind to immerse myself deeply in the writing process once again. It feels like a wonderful recognition and gives me the confidence to further develop this project,’ says Jansma.
Photo: Welmoed Riemersma
