Dutch author Auke Hulst (b. Hoogezand-Sappemeer, 1975) made his breakthrough with a stylised autobiographical novel Kinderen van het Ruige Land. Subsequent novels (Slaap zacht, Johnny Idaho, En ik herinner me Titus Broederland, Zoeklicht and De Mitsukoshi Troostbaby Company) have been awarded with or shortlisted for several Dutch literary prizes. In addition to his work as a writer, Auke is also a musician and a critic for NRC Handelsblad.
Yentl van Stokkum (b. 1991) is a Dutch poet and playwright. She has performed at festivals, such as Lowlands, Poetry International, Dichters in de Prinsentuin en Oerol. Yentl won a scholarship for her first published collection of poems (Ik zeg Emily) in 2021 and has recently published her second anthology (Winterbloeiers).
Photo: Bianca Sistermans
Christoph Wenzel (1979) writes poetry and essays. He has published five collections of poetry, including his most recent, landläufiges Lexikon, earning himself several German poetry awards in the process. Together with Stefan Wieczorek he co-edits a German-Dutch bilingual poetry magazine (TRIMARAN).
Max Raths, who hails from the Rhineland, has been writing poetry for the last 8 years and often performs at slams throughout Germany. According to one German newspaper (Rheinische Post), he combines “wordplay, an interest in current affairs and the idiosyncratic subtleties of the German language”.
Photo: Ben Mischke
Maarten Faas studied Remedial Education in Utrecht and Leiden and has worked in health care and education. He is now president of the Dutch association of health-care professionals. He has written various books and articles about his profession, mountaineering and running. One of his passions is (the history of) mountaineering.
Max Hermens (b. Boxmeer, 1991) is jointly responsible for putting together the mountain literature programme (Bergen&Boeken) at the DMFF. Max writes prose and his work has featured in several cultural and literary magazines in the Netherlands and Germany. He has performed at numerous festivals and he also organises workshops and writing courses, for example, for the Radboud University in Nijmegen. A collection of prose (Toch zonken ze niet), whose themes include the countryside and nature, and children who embark upon meaningless adventures appeared in 2019.
In 2020 he wrote Dit is België about the border region in Zuid-Limburg, which can be read on the website of Borderlines.
Photo: Wouter le Duc
Merlijn Huntjens (b. Heerlen, 1991) is jointly responsible for putting together the mountain literature programme (Bergen&Boeken) at the DMFF. Merlijn writes poetry. In 2016, 2017 and 2018 he was in the final of the Dutch Poetry Slam. In his poems, Merlijn paints a picture of ordinary people in improbably ordinary situations. Whilst the world may be special, magical and, above all, eternal, the figures he writes about have failed to realise this.
Merlijns has featured in online and printed poetry journals. In August 2022 he published De zee zwaait terug. Merlijn is active in a number of poetry groups and collectives, including PANDA, VIA ZUID en De Nieuwe Oost | Wintertuin.
Photo: Gaby Jongenelen