Tommy Wieringa (Writer-in-Residence 2010/11) has won the Libris Literature Prize 2013 for his novel Dit zijn de namen (These are the names), written at NIAS as a writer-in-residence, a fellowship co-sponsored by the Dutch Foundation for Literature. Wieringa received the award at a award ceremony at the Amstel Hotel, Amsterdam, on 6 May 2013.
About the Novel
Dit zijn de namen (These are the names) is set at a border town on the steppe. A group of bedraggled refugees appears out of nowhere, spreading fear and panic in the town. When police commissioner Pontus Beg orders their arrest, evidence of a crime is found in their luggage. As he begins to unravel the history of their hellish journey, it becomes increasingly intertwined with the search for his own origins. Through a meeting with an old rabbi, the last Jew in town, Beg discovers the truth about himself. With both humour and wisdom, Tommy Wieringa links man’s dark nature with the question of who we are and whether redemption is possible.
The jury of the Libris Literature Prize praises Wieringa’s novel for its “picturesque imagery, beautifully formulated sentences, and events that urge the reader to reflect.”
Tommy Wieringa spoke about his novel at the NIAS Book Café, on the same day as his nomination was made public. He will also appear at the Letteren &cetera interview series in Amsterdam, on 30 May 2013.
About the Libris Literature Prize
The Libris Literature Award or Libris Prize (Dutch: Libris Literatuur Prijs) is a prize for novels originally written in Dutch. Established in 1993, it is awarded annually since 1994 by Libris, an association of independent Dutch booksellers, and amounts to €50,000 for the winner. It is modeled on the Booker Prize, having a longlist and a selection process which shortlists six books.
About the Writer-in-Residence Fellowship
The Writer-in-Residence programme is a joint venture between NIAS and the Dutch Foundation for Literature (‘Nederlands Letterenfonds’) in Amsterdam. The position of Writer-in-Residence is intended for fiction and non-fiction writers who would benefit from an extended period in an international community of scholars. Previous Writers-in-Residence have included Joyce Hackett, Thomas Roosenboom, David van Reybrouck and David Mitchell.