Flanders Literature helps publishers and festival organisers find that one particular title or author that is the perfect fit for their list or audience. So take a good look around, we present a selection of the finest literature from Flanders. If you like what you see, please get in touch with us for further information.
Will often have you in fits of laughter, only to grab you the next moment unexpectedly by the throat
De Standaard
A retired librarian wants to escape the dreary monotony his bossy wife has imposed on him.There is only one, extraordinary way in which he can regain the self-esteem that his marriage has dented.He plans to gradually feign dementia until he finds himself in a rest home, freed from all social and familial pressure.
An extremely strong book, a wartime childhood that can be taken as a reference
Edward van de Vendel
Flanders, 1914. The war is approaching audibly. Young Nelle volunteers as a nurse in a hospital, seeing this war as a chance to become more than just a baker’s daughter, a mother and wife. Her boyfriend Simon doesn’t want to go to war, but he is pushed by his father, who is fascinated by heroism and the art of warfare, and he ends up in the trenches with his best friend Kamiel.
Such layering, such rich atmosphere and magnificent dialogue, this is unprecedented
Jaap Friso
Matti sets out on the ice road to town on the coldest night of the year to bring his father’s favourite fish to safety. Out on the ice at night, he meets Drika, who is almost blind, and who, like Matti, has a goal to achieve. 'Fish Don’t Melt'is an atmospheric and exciting story about a night full of threat and disaster, but above all a book about love.
Wild, breathless stories in this great collection of small texts
Süddeutsche Zeitung
This beautifully illustrated treasure chest holds a collection of Bart Moeyaert short stories and poems for children. No matter how different the stories and poems are, they all show Moeyaert’s craftsmanship. Such variety, such a wealth of imagery and style – it all combines to make this book an exquisite anthology.
A book for sensitive readers, young or otherwise, who enjoy taking time for nuances
Cobra
Paris, just before the French Revolution. Camille and Louis’ father is a silk merchant, which entails regular journeys to China. Until one day he does not return. Kathleen Vereecken sketches a beautiful and subtle story about loss and how to cope with it against the background of a city where tensions are rising.
Five people, linked together, tell their story. They talk about unexpected happiness that makes things complicated, about secrets that seem too big to handle, about the complex art of being young, about obstacles that seem like mountains, about keeping on trying, to the point where no one can go any further.
De Martelaere is not someone who thinks slowly or laboriously. No – her trains of thought thunder at full speed, are compelling and, within a limited space, summon up and deal with a variety of issues
Trouw
Love, insecurity and an endless longing for another are the most prominent themes in the poetry brought together in this anthology that spans 20 years.The poetry in ‘Nothing that Says’ portrays something that cannot be made tangible in any other way.
Her rich vocabulary and thoughtful wording leave a lasting impression.
Trouw
‘Birdie’ is a gripping story about growing up and loneliness. Written from the perspective of adults as well as teenagers, this crossover novel will appeal to both demographics. Van den Broeck creates incredibly believable characters with elaborate characterisation and fluid streams of thought.
This sparkling, beautifully designed book is a real revelation.
De Standaard
This humorous and text-free story is extremely fast-paced. De Decker’s humour explores the boundaries of the (im)possible, but remains disarmingly innocent at the same time. Otto’s world is one of weird trains of thought and unexpected twists and turns. Its warm heart immediately draws the reader in.
A fine debut – it looks like the well of promising young Flemish illustrators has not run dry yet.
De Standaard
A man is sitting in his cabin in the forest, all by himself. When he stares out of the window, all he sees are trees. It is a beautiful forest, but the man isn’t happy: he demolishes his little house and with the timber he assembles a pair of tall stilts. With giant steps he can now go and explore the wonders of the world.
A coherent and bittersweet meditation on family foibles
Comicsalternative.com
Karel, Valère and Roger are three brothers who each need to come to terms with their own demons. Reading about their troubled lives, we get a sense of just how cruel and thankless as well as enchanting and hilarious the world can be: extremes we have no choice but to accept.
Olyslaegers performs a high-wire act between monumental and over the top, between cool and affected. And he makes it to the other side, gloriously so.
De Standaard
In ‘Winnings’ Jeroen Olyslaegers asks pertinent questions about social engagement, art, spirituality, love and sex and does so with flair and devilish suspense.
This is not your average picture book, but a highly original and gripping story.
Pluizuit
Willy’s father is keen to teach his son something new every day. But every time he looks over the boy’s shoulder, something goes wrong. Then one day his father decides to send Willy out into the great, wide world to discover his talents.
‘Somersault Day’ is imaginative from beginning to end.
De Standaard
Zsofi jumps off a star and falls down to earth, little suitcase in hand. This is her Somersault Day. A woman climbs out of Zsofi’s suitcase, picks her up and holds her tight. Somersault Day’ is a gripping story about life, love, death and saying goodbye.
A delightful piece to read and look at, with international allure
De Morgen
Verbeke and Verplancke offer a parody of the sovereign power of the artist in modern society. At a more abstract level, this story, taking place in the limited confines of a ski lift, is about an unsympathetic society that demands the artist to justify him- or herself. The result is a parable you will not easily forget.
Leonard Nolens is a monumental figure in Flemish poetry. His poetry forms one of the most all-encompassing and uncompromising oeuvres in Dutch-language literature. With brilliance, Nolens addresses a number of classic themes in ever-varying modulations, as if haunted by them. Nolens’ poetry is distinguished by the polyphonic ways of thinking and imaginary ways of acting that are contained within it.
Van Gerrewey proves once again that the intangible nature of love is still fuel for literature
De Morgen
A man wakes up in a house belonging to friends who have gone on holiday. Accompanied by their cat, he recalls the previous summer, when a woman was still with him. He decides to write to her to bring her up to date with recent developments.
Is this a letter of complaint from a jilted lover, an exhibitionist confession to the world, or a scrupulous self-examination?
Verhelst creates visual prose and will not readily be surpassed in that respect
De Standaard
The Belgian Doctor Duval moved to a magnificent tropical island years ago. Together with the priest and the Madame from the coffee house, he involves himself in the destiny of Cassandra, the girl who stands constantly at the waterline. Life on the island is abruptly disturbed when several whales and a number of women and girls who are unable to speak are washed ashore.
Act like Elvis and shoot a bullet through your telly: it is here you have to look
Humo
Charles Ducal’s poetry contains much irony and casual humour, yet doesn’t shrink from such grand themes as language, religion and sexuality. His poetry is allegedly blasphemous, but ‘shocking’ would be a better epithet.
David is diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, a terminal form of cancer that means he will soon be unable to speak. Judith Vanistendael zooms in on David and the three women who surround him: his wife and his two daughters. A touching and subtle book that compassionately depicts the fruitless struggle to find the meaning of life.
In short sketches of usually just one strip, Billy Bob, a trainee cowboy, and Woody, his somewhat tougher friend, roam around the Wild West, doing what a cowboy should do: killing Indians. A hilarious and challenging comic for young readers.
‘Roger is Reading a Book’ is both a tribute to the quiet life (the bliss of peacefully reading a book) and to going out and having fun together when city life beckons. The same hustle and bustle in town returns in 'Roger is Going Fishing' where Roger cycles out of town to go fishing. His neighbour Emily on the back of his bike, with the fishing rod in her hand, catches plenty of things before they’ve even left the town.
Peeters excels in the plausible characterisation of entirely unscrupulous people
NRC Handelsblad
‘Tuesday’ starts as the account of an ordinary day in the shambling life of an old man. Wandering around the city, his memories rise to the surface. The major contrast between then and now, between the impassive registration of daily events where moral implications are entirely lacking and the underlying dramatic life experiences make ‘Tuesday’ an impressive novel.
A masterly collection of stories, highly intelligent and hugely comical *****
De Standaard
This ‘novel-in-stories’ displays how people often believe they know more than they actually do. They apply labels or draw premature conclusions and, by doing so, cause others to suffer. In this collection of fifteen stories, Verbeke plays a beautiful game with fiction and reality, with believing and exposing. The characters’ assumptions are depicted so realistically and convincingly that readers find themselves going along with them too.
A nostalgic journey through time by means of beautiful pictures
De Morgen
With ‘My Favourite Dictionary of Toys’, young children can learn their first words: ‘dog’, ‘boat’ and ‘pear’, but also ‘speed merchant’ and ‘smitten’. With his typical style – a mix of collage, drawings and graphic work – Gaudesaboos creates a colourful book yet without excess, because he limits himself to depicting only a single word per page.
Without a doubt one of the most beautiful books of the year
De Morgen
One cold winter’s night, a man goes out looking for a child because his wife so desperately wants one. But he has doubts about every child he meets in his search. Until he finds a branch that looks like a baby.
Parents’ love for their children, however different it can be from what you might expect, is magnificently rendered in this heart-warming tale.
Well written, beautiful language and original ideas
De Leeswelp
A rich and varied book worth cherishing. An eight-year-old boy introduces his eleven grandparents through stories, poems, recipes and comic strips. Evelien De Vlieger shatters all the clichés – or nearly all of them – about grandparents. The illustrations are so detailed it’s hard to tear your eyes away from the pages of this beautiful book.
This is not just a great debut novel, it’s a great book in general
De Standaard
An uncompromising reflection of the zeitgeist. Set against the backdrop of an ecological disaster, Roderik Six deploys his razor-sharp style to deliver a chilling story about the resilience of man and his ruthless urge to survive.
The most versatile and most exciting voice of his generation.
Tom Lanoye
A chronicle about resistance and decay, with events that take place in Brussels, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Los Angeles. This novel comes as close as possible to the core of this era, which even the ultra-rich can no longer control.
Moonie is staring at a vase one day when thirteen tiny blue deer come trotting out of it. The deer do not turn out to be friends in whom Moonie can confide, and they don’t come when she calls. Van de Vendel presents a convincing picture of the inner world and conversations of children. De Leeuw employs a minimal background and simple lines and makes very effective use of colour.
The early 1960s. Joris is ten and likes nothing more than playing war in the dunes. Inside his dad’s old army trunk, he finds a mysterious photograph of his parents with a young man. Who is he? And what does he have to do with the night of 2 April?
Marita de Sterck gives fairy tales back their primal power.
De Morgen
In ‘Beast in Bed’, tales like Rapunzel and Snow White are restored to their former glory, giving them back their emotional and literary force and their fierce energy. A must-read for anyone who loves pure folk tales.
Three perfectly controlled puzzle pieces that will never entirely fit together
De Groene Amsterdammer
‘Post Mortem’ is an intense and ingenious novel about a writer’s inspiration, a father’s love for his daughter and a man’s fear of losing his life after his death.
‘Applesauce’ is a refreshing complement to all the picture books in which dads are always heroes. Here you see a father as he really is: he often realises his role of superdad, but occasionally he can be found lazing on the sofa and sometimes he even changes to scary and grumpy, with thunder in his voice and lightening in his hands.
Thomas is dead, but three people can still see him: his inconsolable mother, his beloved Orphee and his dying grandfather. De Leeuw writes highly sensitive, keen prose with poignant images, and is painfully honest in showing that damaged, lonely people can be unreasonable and unkind, and that love can be an immense burden.
No better soundtrack for a political and cultural history of the twentieth century than jazz. In 'Rebellious Rhythms' Matthijs de Ridder starts on a hazardous search through an age of jazz and jazzy literature.
His argument is lucid, eloquent and compelling, and easy to follow, even for laypersons.
Athenaeum Bookstore
Based on his clinical experience as a psychotherapist, Verhaeghe shows how our changing society works through into the psychological problems that afflict individuals today.
An eye-opener for everyone who thinks he/she is normal and that only others suffer psychologically.
Yves Desmet
In 'Borderline Times'Dirk De Wachter describes how the nine symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are present in all of us. His diagnosis upon observing our society is: ‘borderline’.
Few authors combine that much knowledge with such a pleasant and accessible style.
Erik Lindner
Using images and texts taken from literature, philosophy, art, the internet and popular culture, Piet Joostens goes in search of the figure of the friend and how it relates to friendship.
An epic story about life and identity that is hard to put down
De Morgen
Kaspar Hauser has intrigued historians, writers and artists for centuries. Kristien Dieltiens has constructed a masterful novel around his life. 'Cellar Child' begins with an impressive scene that grips the reader and refuses to let go until the breathtaking finale 480 pages later.
A complex but extremely clear and compelling novel about the recent history of Rwanda
De Morgen
‘A Thousand Hills’ is a rich book, written with highly imaginative touch, that reveals the beauty and the tragedy of the land of a thousand hills. It steers a course between novel, history, anthropological study, and news report. ‘A Thousand Hills’ is a provocative novel and has the power to fuel discussions that still take place about Rwanda internationally.
A gripping and authentic tale of love, friendship, grief and loss
NBD Biblion
Eppo is taking a trip. Hitchhiking to France he is picked up by Tabby, who has her own reasons for leaving home. Tabby talks nineteen to the dozen; Eppo is an introvert. Through his eyes we join them on their journey, which has more to do with what lies behind them than with where they are going.
'Little Paradise’ is a tale of longing, of family, of breaking free and wanting to belong and the difficult balance of all those elements. But it is also full of adventure, with storylines that cleverly twist and turn and an action-packed climax.
Theatre is rarely as disarming, as sophisticated, as urgent as this.
Jury report Theaterfestival
Krenz symbolises a life lived as a runner-up, waiting on the sidelines for one’s moment – a moment that never lives up to long-held expectations. Willem de Wolf links Krenz’s story to his own family history. In this smart, sharp and funny text, De Wolf dissects the frustrations and loneliness that lie behind ambition.
A warm story you can relate to, skilfully written and illustrated
De Bond
Bernie and Flora are a bear and a duck who like the same things and have been friends for years. A series of four books describes their adventures together. The books are an ode to friendship and love, and they also show how both characters need to have respect for each other’s individuality.
A clever thriller: exciting, with a well-rounded plot and very recognisable
NDB Biblion
When union official Martin looks away in terror from three youths who are spraying graffiti on a night train and then attack an elderly gentleman who says something about it, he finds himself in a moral quandary. Nobody notices him, he doesn’t have a mobile phone and the victim doesn’t seem to be in a bad way. Enough reasons for Martin not to call the police.
The work of a highly imaginative mind, full of scintillating, poetic language
Tzum
The feigned cheerfulness of the family, the ambiguity of the characters’ banal behaviour and the gathering storm all suggest something terrible is about to happen. Combined with the suggestive style of the book, this ominous tension keeps the reader spellbound.
Steven Dupré has given his unbridled imagination free rein.
Actuabd.com
Steven Dupré is a craftsman: his assured, very natural drawing style is of the highest quality. In addition, as a scriptwriter the author has mastered the art of taking his readers with him to a parallel universe, by means of subtle, profound stories.
A fantasmagoria without balloons in which a man sets out on a surreal quest in search of his animality
Le Soir
In this wordless tale, the young human boy Mowgli lives alone in the jungle. He soon feels lonely and goes in search of a soulmate. Mowgli’s quest is full of slapstick humour with bloody violence and elephant droppings, but also contains reflections on philosophical questions like individuality and complementarity.
