Had a great meeting at the American Book Center in The Hague yesterday, talking with other SCBWI members about the book fair in Bologna and sharing all our news.
I passed on some stories from the SCBWI symposium and talked about the Netherlands showcase that I hosted at the SCBWI stand on Thursday afternoon.

Dutch delights
Thanks to Barbara Mazzotta from the Dutch Foundation for Literature for taking the picture.
It was fascinating to be on the other side of the table at the book fair, talking to people about the Netherlands chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and telling them about the latest and most exciting books from the Netherlands.
Check out John Shelley’s blog for some fine insights into Bologna and the SCBWI. And Angela Cerrito has posted some great pics on her blog too.
This article from Publishers Weekly gives a very positive impression of events at the book fair. I have to say that there seemed to be a lot of energy and enthusiasm in Bologna, certainly among our SCBWI bunch. Let’s hope that this translates into lots of fun projects and great new books.
Tomorrow Pamplona – coming soon!
So, for some time now I’ve been working on a translation of Jan van Mersbergen’s wonderful book Morgen zijn we in Pamplona, which will be published in the UK by Peirene Press. What started as a few words typed on a computer screen is soon going to be a beautifully printed book. I’m tidying up the loose ends now and will be handing over the file to Peirene very soon. The sight of the cover on the Peirene Press website is spurring me on!
Here’s what people have said about the book:
A story about anger, aggression and the desire for intimacy by a rising star of modern Dutch literature.
A professional boxer and a family man meet by chance on a journey to the Pamplona Bull Run. The boxer is fleeing an unhappy love. The father hopes to escape his dull routine. Both know that, eventually, they will have to return to the place each calls “home”.
“An intense reading experience…Van Mersbergen tells what needs to be told and not a word more.” De Morgen
“A road movie in book form … one of the best books I’ve read this year.” Radio Bremen