Multi–award winning Dutch author Gerbrand Bakker’s phenomenal new novel about grief and the unavoidable power of family ties. Simon never knew his father, Cornelis. When his wife told him she was pregnant, Cornelis packed his bags, and a day later he was dead. Or everyone assumed he was dead; after all, he was on the passenger list of the KLM plane that crashed in Tenerife in 1977. Simon is a hairdresser, just like his father and grandfather before him, but he is not passionate about cutting and shaving. ‘Closed’ appears on his shop’s front door more often than ‘open’, because every customer is a person, and people suck the energy from him. But there is one client he regularly interacts with: the writer. The writer is looking for a subject for his next book and becomes captivated by the story of Simon’s father. As Simon probes the mystery of what happened to his father, a deeply humane and beautifully observed portrait of loneliness emerges in another captivating novel from one of Europe’s greatest storytellers.

A story of staggering scope and drama, Revolusi is the masterful and definitive account of the epic revolution that sparked the decolonisation of the modern world. On a sunny Friday morning in August 1945, a handful of tired people raised a homemade cotton flag and on behalf of 68 million compatriots announced the birth of a new nation. With the fourth largest population in the world, inhabiting islands that span an eighth of the globe, Indonesia became the first colonised country to declare its independence after the Second World War. Four million civilians had died during the wartime occupation by the Japanese that ousted the Dutch colonial regime. Another 200,000 people would lose their lives in the astonishingly brutal conflict that ensued - as the Dutch used savage violence to reassert their control, and as the Allied troops of Britain and America became embroiled in pacifying Indonesia's guerrilla war of resistance: the 'revolusi'. It was not until December 1949 that the newly created United Nations forced The Netherlands to cede all sovereignty to Indonesia, finally ending 350 years of colonial rule and setting a precedent that would reshape the world. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and eye-witness testimonies, David Van Reybrouck turns this vast and complex story into an utterly gripping narrative that is alive with human detail at every turn. A landmark publication, Revolusi shows Indonesia's struggle for independence to be one of the defining dramas of the twentieth century and establishes its author as one of the most gifted narrative historians at work in any language today.

Pluck has been driving all over town in his little red tow truck, looking for a home. When he finds out there's a room going free in the Pill Building he goes straight there and moves in. Right away he makes lots of friends, including Zaza the cockroach and Dolly the pigeon. Now his adventures can begin... Blending realistic characters with the fantastic, full of adventure and humour, Tow-Truck Pluck is an unforgettably offbeat children's classic in the vein of Roald Dahl's The BFG, and one of the Netherlands most popular children's books of all time.

Tibble is a reporter. He only ever writes about cats, and he's about to be fired. Minou is a young woman who has moved into Tibble's flat. She hates dogs, likes rooftops, loves the fishmonger, and happens to have been, until very recently, a cat. With her feline friends listening out for all the local human news, is Minou the answer to all Tibble's problems-or just the beginning of them? A hilarious, charming story of cats, dogs, and learning to dare.

A tense, thrilling, morally murky read, set in Nazi-occupied Antwerp and inspired by the author's own family history of collaboration during WW2 It is 1941, and Antwerp is in the grip of Nazi occupation. Young policeman Wilfried Wils has no intention of being a hero - but war has a way of catching up with people. When his idealistic best friend draws him into the growing resistance movement, and an SS commander tries to force him into collaborating, Wilfried's loyalties become horribly, fatally torn. As the beatings, destruction and round-ups intensify across the city, he is forced into an act that will have consequences he could never have imagined. A searing portrayal of a man trying to survive amid the treachery, compromises and moral darkness of occupation, Will asks what any of us would risk to fight evil.

As a poet, Perquin is able to get into the minds of others. Whether they are the delinquents presented to us in Cell Inspections or the nameless, strange, but extremely recognizable figures in her other work. The reader always gets the feeling that she is being addressed by a person of flesh and blood. Because Perquin often uses the second-person singular, the idea of direct communication is further reinforced. Who is this "you"? Is it the reader or the writer? Dutch poet Ester Naomi Perquin worked as a prison guard to pay for her college education. She has published three books of poetry.

After first making her mark as a compelling performer, Belgian poet Charlotte Van den Broeck was acclaimed as one of Europe’s most innovative and original new voices in poetry following the publication of her first collection Chameleon in 2015. Her first English translation combines her debut volume with her second book Nachtroer (2017), its untranslatable title the name of all-night shop in Antwerp where she lives. Chameleon is a set of apparently naïve but knowingly ironic, playful and subversive poems which trace a girl’s search for a woman’s identity, a coming-of-age exploration of body and language drawing on memories, shapes and landscapes. In Nachtroer her poems take a nighttime journey through heartbreak, insomnia and the hectic flow of daily life, driven by a desire for disappearance, displacement and dissolution. Chameleon ends with taking to the ocean. Nachtroer’s last poem is about building a boat for such a voyage. Chameleon | Nachtroer sets the two books afloat in English.

Towards the end of the Second World War, a weary partisan fighting with the Red Army in Germany comes across a grand, abandoned house, seemingly untouched by the devastation sweeping the country. Exhausted, he falls asleep in the living room, but wakes to find a German patrol marching up the garden path. His only hope is to pose as the house's owner, but how will he keep up the pretence when the real owner returns?

Dazzling, dark and scorchingly violent, with the breakneck pace of a thriller, this timeless classic is a vivid depiction of what happens when the mask of decency is cast aside in the savagery of war.

THE TIMES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK 'This funny, award-winning novel by Dutch writer Woltz is original and touching — and has two wonderfully memorable characters…’ Sally Morris, Daily Mail It’s the first day of the holidays and Sam is roaming the island of Texel, imagining what it’d feel like to be the last person on earth. Then, like a whirlwind, 12-year-old islander Tess swoops into his life. Sam’s only option is to go along for the ride. Soon he’s dancing the waltz, burying a pet canary and coming up with an especially weird plan to help Tess find her father, who doesn’t even know she exists. Along the way, Sam discovers the true meaning of family and what it is to be alive. One thing’s for sure – this is a holiday he’ll never forget.

It is 1941, and Antwerp is in the grip of Nazi occupation. Young policeman Wilfried Wils has no intention of being a hero - but war has a way of catching up with people. When his idealistic best friend draws him into the growing resistance movement, and an SS commander tries to force him into collaborating, Wilfried's loyalties become horribly, fatally torn. As the beatings, destruction and round-ups intensify across the city, he is forced into an act that will have consequences he could never have imagined. A searing portrayal of a man trying to survive amid the treachery, compromises and moral darkness of occupation, Will asks what any of us would risk to fight evil.

Sometimes our feelings are so big, our dreams and our worries so wide, that we can't find the words to express them. How MUCH love we feel; what a new sibling will bring; exactly what it's like to take a hard tumble, or to want the sun to shine on a rainy day. These thoughts and questions are explored by Hans and Monique Hagen in poems pitched perfectly to the children who wonder. Marit Toernqvist is their brilliant partner, spreading gorgeous color and heartfelt imagery across these pages. If you want a sneak peek at what we mean, turn to the sunflower spread on page thirty, and feel...yourself smile.

On the eve of the Second World War a public attorney, devastated because his Jewish lover has fled without him, runs over a young girl. He is torn by grief at the loss of his girlfriend and guilt about the accident - which is shrouded in a mystery that he attempts to unravel while the world around him collapses. In the meantime, he is watched over by a guardian angel, who whispers him warnings, and by a devil, who does the same... A Guardian Angel Recalls is a thrilling and provocative war novel, from one of the greatest Dutch authors of the twentieth century.

Philosophical, wise, funny, true-to-child and wonderfully illustrated stories about an unbreakable friendship between a panda and a squirrel, from two world greats of children's literature. Panda and Squirrel can't live without each other and do everything together: lie on the rocks to look at the moon, take walks, play games. One of their journeys lasts for only two steps, another day they discover a newly hatched duckling. Sometimes they argue but they always make up again. This a friendship for any day: roaring, quiet, grumbling, snoring . . . always. These down-to-earth, warmhearted friendship stories reach straight from the soul of one six-year-old to another. Written by Ed Franck, one of Belgium's most important and innovative children's writers, and illustrated by The Tjong-Khing, a world-leading illustrator for children, whose many accolades include nomination for the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Good parents everywhere know the tension of wanting our kids to be curious, to have rich experiences and friends...but to be perfectly safe while doing it. Little Fox knows all about it! His father (in classic picture book fashion) warns him of the danger everywhere. But Little Fox still frolics with butterflies, scavenges for food, and searches for new friends. Then one day he takes a tumble, bumps his head, and starts dreaming of things that reflect both the beauty he's seen and the scary things he's heard. Marije Tolman's ingenious illustrations use a fresh technique that FEELS like a movie and a dream, starring the cheerful, bright orange Little Fox on grainy mixed media landscapes of blue and green. And when Little Fox wakes up, he's perhaps a little wiser, but still every bit as curious and full of life.

A story of staggering scope and drama, Revolusi is the masterful and definitive account of the epic revolution that sparked the decolonisation of the modern world. On a sunny Friday morning in August 1945, a handful of tired people raised a homemade cotton flag and on behalf of 68 million compatriots announced the birth of a new nation. With the fourth largest population in the world, inhabiting islands that span an eighth of the globe, Indonesia became the first colonised country to declare its independence after the Second World War. Four million civilians had died during the wartime occupation by the Japanese that ousted the Dutch colonial regime. Another 200,000 people would lose their lives in the astonishingly brutal conflict that ensued - as the Dutch used savage violence to reassert their control, and as the Allied troops of Britain and America became embroiled in pacifying Indonesia's guerrilla war of resistance: the 'revolusi'. It was not until December 1949 that the newly created United Nations forced The Netherlands to cede all sovereignty to Indonesia, finally ending 350 years of colonial rule and setting a precedent that would reshape the world. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and eye-witness testimonies, David Van Reybrouck turns this vast and complex story into an utterly gripping narrative that is alive with human detail at every turn. A landmark publication, Revolusi shows Indonesia's struggle for independence to be one of the defining dramas of the twentieth century and establishes its author as one of the most gifted narrative historians at work in any language today.

A thought-provoking illustrated storybook in which the forest animals discover that anger doesn't always have to be angry In ten thoughtful, philosophical, absurd tales by master storyteller Toon Tellegen, the forest animals-from squirrel to scarab beetle-spend their days as friends do, with birthday parties, writing letters, visiting, dancing, or sometimes all alone. Each day brings emotions that are always worth exploring, although not always easy, and each story reveals new layers through the expressive, touching and funny illustrations of Marc Boutavant. This wry and nuanced collection of stories gently shows that anger, in all its shapes and sizes, is a natural, necessary and often misunderstood emotion.

Maia is an impatient little scamp, just like her grandma. When something pops into their heads, they want it now! Right away! They get along like a house on fire. One day Grandma falls ill and all her words become muddled. The grown-ups can't understand her, but Maia knows exactly what she means! A wonderful book to share with children and to treasure for years to come.

Subversive, visual, and bold, Curacao-born Dutch Radna Fabias' explosive debut collection Habitus marks the entry of a genre-altering poet. Habitus is a collection full of thrilling sensory images, lines in turn grim and enchanting which move from the Caribbean island of Curacao to the immigrant experience of the Netherlands. Fabias' intrepid masterpiece explores issues of racism, neo-colonialism, poverty, and sexism with a heartbreaking rhythm and endless nuance. Broken into three parts ("View with coconut," "Rib," and "Demonstrable effort made"), Habitus explores the profound struggles of melancholic longing, womanhood, religion, and migration. This ambitious, powerful, and compassionate collection has emerged, cheering on ambiguity, fluidity, and a lyrical ego on a quest to find its home.

Cees Nooteboom wrote the poems that make up Monk's Eye on two islands: he began them on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog and finished them on the Spanish island of Minorca, where he has spent summers for decades. The poems--which can be read individually or, all together, as the record of a poet's life--are about the two islands. But they're also about islands as an archetype, about the serenity that we can find on beaches and amid dunes, the sea sweeping imperturbably around us. Accompanied by Sunandini Banerjee's collages, the poems in this volume are rich in allusion; they address the past, memories, illusions, dreams, and the heart of all poetry--which Nooteboom locates in the opening line of Plato's Phaedrus, when Socrates, walking with his admirer, asks, "My dear Phaedrus, whence came you, and whither are you going?"

Warning: This story is narrated by a gorilla. He is plucked from the jungle. He learns to chat and passes the ultimate test: a cocktail party. Eventually he is moved to an amusement park, where he acts in a play about the history of civilisation. But as the gorilla becomes increasingly aware of human frailties, he must choose between his instincts and his training, between principles and self-preservation. ----- Why Peirene chose to publish this book: 'This is Peirene's first book narrated by an ape. Animal fables are usually not my thing. It needed Belgian deadpan humour to convince me otherwise. Mixing Huxley's Brave New World with Orwell's Animal Farm, the fast-paced plot leaves behind images that play in your mind long after you have closed the book.' Meike Ziervogel, Publisher

Every year, a large number of people living in our towns and cities - the homeless, suicides, illegal immigrants, junkies, drug 'mules', victims of crime and, above all, old people living alone - are found dead. Sometimes, they are not discovered for weeks or months, and it is often hard to ascertain who they are. Their funerals are held without relatives or friends and acquaintances being present; the only people in attendance are the pall-beares, perhaps someone from the Department of Social Services, the cemetery management and the funeral director. In Amsterdam in 2002, the poet and artist F Starik, deeply moved by the desolation of these solitary funerals, initiated 'The Lonely Funeral' project and seven years later in Antwerp, the Flemish poet Maarten Inghels set up a project of the same name. The idea of the project was to establish a network of poets who would write a personal poem for the deceased person based on research into their life and read it out at their funeral as an affirmation of their existence. To date, well over 300 'lonely funerals' have been attended by poets in both cities and volumes of prose and poetry about some of these forgotten lives have been published in Amsterdam and Antwerp respectively. Arc Publications, together with the Viennese publisher Edition Korrespondezen and the editor Stefan Wieczorek, have made a selection of prose and poems about 31 'forgotten lives' from these two anthologies. What is known of, or can be found out about, each individual's life and manner of death is set out in a moving prose piece which also describes the funeral itself - for the Amsterdam funerals this is written by F. Starik and for the Antwerp funerals by Maarten Inghels - and this is followed by the poem for the deceased, with 20 of the Netherlands' and Flanders' leading poets being represented. This is by turns a moving, shocking and very necessary volume: poets are not social workers but they do have the power to change attitudes to society's outcasts. These last salutations to people the poet has never known and never will, whose lives at the end were invisible, remind us that we are a community and that we have responsibility for each other, even after death. As F. Starik writes in his preface to the book: "We do not know to whom we say goodbye, so we feel no pain. But everyone - and this is the point - every person deserves respect."

?Prize-winning poet, essayist, dramatist and actor Ramsey Nasr, born 1974 in Rotterdam into a Palestinian-Dutch family, was voted Poet Laureate of the Netherlands in 2009. He selected the poems in Heavenly Life from his collections and works written as poet laureate. His award-winning translator, David Colmer, has dynamically recreated in English the patterns and sounds of Ramsey's inventive, bold and thoughtful poems. The collection includes a three-part poem inspired by the life of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, and the title poem written to commemorate the 150th anniversary of composter Gustav Mahlers birth, and the poem that voted Nasr into his laureate post.