Benny Lindelauf

Last year I was asked by Phion (Philharmonie Gelderland)  and youth theatre group Gnaffel to write a piece for a special group, or rather special groups: children from an AZC, children who are deaf or hearing impaired and children with TOS (Language-Develop- Disorder). Groups of children for whom the (Dutch) spoken language are not always easy. Together with Eva Wilgers of the Phion I visited a number of schools for these children. They were inspiring encounters, where language turned out to be less of a handicap than we thought. What we had no words for, we made gestures. Or we drew what we meant. With a head and heart full I went back home and to work. The performance ‘Little Neptunus’ is currently still being made, I am working on the latest version, director Rob Vriens invents the images and composer Thomas Beijer, the music. The music? But what about the deaf and hard of hearing children? Come and see, then you will see for yourself, the performance is meant for everyone.

Premiere on November 19, 2023 in Arnhem. For more information, check www.phion.nl

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In the last decade the world has achieved an astonishing turnover-speed, but that does not apply to books published in China. I think it took me two years to get my hands on the book. And a lot of emails preceded that. Sometimes I doubted whether the book was in the bookstores over there. But it defenitely was worth the trouble: I finally have a copy and it really looks fantastic. Not only because it is full of mysterious Chinese characters, but also because the book has been published larger, so that Ludwig’s drawings are even more beautiful than they already were.

And the good news is that they will also be publishing ‘Whole Stories for Half a Soldier’. Probably in 2024 0f 2025.

Usually it goes like this: a writer writes a book or story and the illustrator makes drawings. But for ‘Mr Makkelie’s Night Lanterns’ it went exactly the other way around. Illustrator Alice Hoogstad created 14 eye-catching prints and asked 13 authors to come up with a story to go with it. Sjoerd Kuyper, Paul van Loon, Annet Schaap, Bart Moeyaert, Bette Westera, Daan Remmerts de Vries, Dolf Verroen, Jan Paul Schutten, Jowi Schmitz, Koos Meinderts, Marancke Rinck, Marjolijn Hof and I took up the challenge myself. We couldn’t choose, you got the print and that’s what you had to write about. A wonderful exercise in inventing.

Gottmer published a beautiful collection of poems. Poet
Jaap Robben collected 333 of the most beautiful poems from the
Dutch and Flamish children’s poetry in recent years.
The sturdy book consists of four parts and in each part you enter
a new phase of childhood. Poems that make you laugh, move
or amaze you.

It also contains two poems of mine. It is illustrated by Sebastian
Van Doninck with images that are just as moving.
What an incredible wealth this book is.