{"id":27789,"date":"2026-09-24T09:05:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T07:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leeuwardencityofliterature.nl\/?post_type=agenda&p=27789"},"modified":"2026-09-24T09:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T07:10:40","slug":"first-ever-ella-lecture-by-karin-amatmoekrim","status":"publish","type":"agenda","link":"https:\/\/leeuwardencityofliterature.nl\/en\/agenda\/first-ever-ella-lecture-by-karin-amatmoekrim\/","title":{"rendered":"ELLA! Lecture by Karin Amatmoekrim"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

First Ever ELLA! Lecture by Karin Amatmoekrim<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Tuesday evening, December 1st, writer Karin Amatmoekrim will give the very first ELLA! lecture. The ELLA! lecture is named after Ella Wassenaer, one of the pen names of the prolific and innovative Frisian writer Lipkje Post-Beuckens (1908-1983), who is also the namesake of the ELLA! collective. ELLA! is a growing group of people advocating for women’s literature in Frysl\u00e2n. With the ELLA! lecture, Leeuwarden UNESCO City of Literature wants to provide a platform for female writers with important stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grenzend aan liefde<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the ELLA! lecture, Karin Amatmoekrim will delve into the “new story about the Netherlands” she describes in her personal plea Grenzend aan Liefde<\/em> (Bordering on Love, 2026). The Netherlands is no longer the country that older generations of Dutch people knew. However, it is also not the promised land that was presented to newcomers. Who we truly are remains one of the most charged questions of our time. As dangerous desires for the past dominate politics and sentiment, Karin Amatmoekrim asks: isn’t it time for a new narrative? A narrative that finds its roots in the past, yet speaks explicitly about decency and civilization, and perhaps even dares to think about love. A gentle story that knows itself vulnerable and powerless in times when macho talk and the right of the strongest set the tone, but which still wants to be told. Grenzend aan Liefde<\/em> is an intimate and even vulnerable quest for the legitimacy of a decent society in far-right times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karin Amatmoekrim (Paramaribo, 1976) is considered one of the sharpest and most empathetic contemporary thinkers in the Netherlands. She writes essays about suppressed history for De Correspondent,<\/em> was a regular columnist for NRC Handelsblad<\/em>, and wrote stories and opinion pieces for various media outlets. At a young age, Amatmoekrim emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands and completed secondary school (gymnasium) here. Her high school years formed the basis for her highly acclaimed novel Het gym<\/em> (The Gymnasium) from 2011. Her studies in psychology and modern literature concluded with a thesis on ethnicity in Surinamese literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Picture made by: Ilja Keizer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her second novel Wanneer wij samen zijn<\/em> (When We Are Together 2006<\/em>) is based on her family history spanning three generations of Muslim Javanese in Suriname and the Netherlands, depicting old and new worlds clashing. De man van veel<\/em> (Man of Many) from 2013 is about the Surinamese anti-colonial writer and resistance fighter Anton de Kom. In 2016, Amatmoekrim published the autobiographical Tenzij de vader<\/em> (Unless the Father), about which a documentary was made for Het uur van de wolf<\/em> –De jacht op mijn vader<\/em>, (The Hunt for My Father)- directed by Gulsah Dogan). In 2023, Amatmoekrim earned her PhD on the biography of Anil Ramdas, titled In wat voor land leef ik eigenlijk? Anil Ramdas, onmogelijk kosmopoliet<\/em>. (In What Country Am I Actually Living? Anil Ramdas, Impossible Cosmopolitan). For this book, she received the Dutch Biography Prize in 2024. She is currently working on a history of Suriname.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practical Information<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The presentation of the ELLA! lecture on December 1st will be hosted by journalist and writer Kirsten van Santen (De Bilt, 1975). Van Santen is a much-requested chairperson and moderator at literary festivals. She trained as a cultural anthropologist and worked for over 25 years as arts editor and columnist for the Leeuwarder Courant<\/em> and Dagblad van het Noorden<\/em>. In March 2022, she debuted with her literary non-fiction book Water Pakken<\/em>. Her second book will be released in early 2027. As a scriptwriter, she is closely involved with cultural venue De Utrecht in Leeuwarden, serves on the jury for the Anton Wachter Prize for the best literary debut, and is a member of the editorial board of the magazine De Moanne.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ELLA! lecture takes place in the Orange Hall of the Town Hall in Leeuwarden (Hofplein 38). Following the lecture, there will be a discussion with Karin Amatmoekrim led by Kirsten van Santen. For those who wish, there will afterward be an opportunity to continue chatting over refreshments. You’re warmly welcome to join the conversation. Admission is free, but seating is limited so please register!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are warmly welcome to join the conversation. Admission is free, but places are limited, so please sign up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n