1.  Choice of authors

During 2008 this theme was chosen for the EU project by the Senioren Academie Groningen and Drenthe. In the autumn of that year five senior staff members, three women and two men sat together for the first time to discuss the project and its procedures: which books would they like to suggest to the European older and younger generation? The books needed to be novels or stories written in the twentieth or twenty-first century by Dutch authors.

After a lengthy discussion the following authors were selected: Ferdinand Bordewijk, Hella Haasse, Willem Frederik Hermans, Harry Mulisch and Tommy Wieringa. Excluded were: Bertus Aafjes (too light), Simon Vestdijk (outdated), Remco Campert (too light), Gerard Reve (he caused quite a stir, but is he still being read?), J.J. Voskuil (his books are too closely linked to his scientific institute), Cees Nooteboom (the European author, but his writing isn't considered to be typically Dutch), Kees van Kooten (amusing, but too topical), Maarten 't Hart (cinema ready) and Annie M.G. Schmidt (is her humour translatable?).

Subsequently the discussion turned to the following:

- Ferdinand Bordewijk or Louis Couperus? Bordewijk was chosen because, more so than Couperus (approx. 1900), he is an author of the twentieth century.

- Tommy Wieringa or Arnon Grunberg? Wieringa was chosen because Grunberg wasn't considered as having come up with anything new until now.

A young student, studying Dutch, participated in the project almost from the start. Her top five were: Louis Couperus, Hella Haasse, Willem Fredrik Hermans, Harry Mulisch, and Martinus Nijhoff (poet). Her choice led to fierce discussions: the young student: "Why do senior people like you have such a young author like Wieringa on the list, and not someone renowned like Louis Couperus? That I chose Couperus indicates that he is really outstanding, else I would never have read him again!"

The choice of books of these authors was the subject of discussion during subsequent months. The decision was a difficult one. Finally these were chosen:

 

• Ferdinand Bordewijk, Karakter. Roman van zoon en vader 
• Hella S. Haasse, Oeroeg 
• W.F. Hermans, Nooit meer slapen
• Harry Mulisch,  Twee vrouwen
• Tommy Wieringa, Joe Speedboat

For a full description of these books please go to the German version of this page.

 

2. Questionnaire

‘Handing down cultural heritage to next generations’ how does it work, especially  the love for books? That is what we wanted to know.

 

We did not want to send the questionnaire to schools, we wanted young students to work on our project, but that was not that easy. Therefore we contacted a publisher in Amsterdam. There you can find youngsters at the end of their study who do their internship. You can be sure that they love books!

The end of November 2008 we had 8 of these trainees who all filled out the questionnaire about the handing down of culture, some of them did this quite extensively. A year later we have sent the same questionnaire to the new trainees. Only two of them reacted. A brief summary of their reactions.

 

1) Did your parents, grandparents or teachers impart you the love for books?

Yes, my parents (mostly my mother) and my teachers.

 

2) Did your parents, grandparents or teachers ‘pass’ you books (in the sense of  handing down heritage to next generations)? If so, which books?

Yes, the important Dutch writers (3). Yes, all books of one author (1). Yes, nearly every book I have read until now (1). No, nearly nothing (1). Two did not have this experience. 

 

3) Do you discuss authors or books with your parents or grandparents?

Yes (4). Yes, with my mother (2). No (2).

 

4) Do you discuss authors or books with people of your age?

Yes (7). No (1).

 

5) Which books written by Dutch authors, read by you, do you wish to be part of a European list of literature? Why? Please a brief motivation for every book.

6) The senior students in Groningen partaking in the literature project have chosen five Dutch authors to be passed on, by means of one book from each author, to other Europeans and the younger generations. What is your opinion about the choice?

Have you read books written by these authors? Which books?

 

Because the students/trainees above were not aware of the fact that our group had to restrict the choice to novelists from the Netherlands, they also mentioned authors from Flanders and poets from the Netherlands and Flanders.

We did not have problems with this difference. First of all their choice was important and secondly ‘Flanders’ and ‘poets’ obviously also are part of our literature!

 

Mulisch            4                      Boon               1                      Nescio            1

Claus               3                      Brouwers         1                      Peper             1

Hermans           3                      van Bruggen     1                     Raes               1

Brijs                 2                      Couperus         1                     Schmidt           1

Grunberg           2                      v/d Heijden      1                     Wieringa          1

Haasse             2                      van Keulen       1                     Zikken             1

Wolkers            2                      Lucebert          1

 

They also motivated their choice. It is remarkable that Mulisch, Hermans and Haasse are among their favourits as well, but not Bordewijk (“why he?”). They think that Wieringa did not yet prove himself to be a great novelist. For him one could mention many others, so why he? And, where are the Flemish novelists? (implicit: they are also part of our literature!).

 

7) Would you like to discuss your choice by mail with a Dutch language student at the University of Vienna?

Yes! (2)