Line Up (more TBA)
Valentijn de Heer
Valentijn is a writer and a healthcare worker. He writes for Het Parool and has published short stories in publications like De Optimist, Papieren Helden, and Literair Nederland. His debut novel “Beste mevrouw Eva” will be released in August by the Pluim publishing house.
Danielle Zawadi
Daniëlle Zawadi writes prose and performs spoken word. Her stories often revolve around the experience of being young in the Netherlands as a second-generation individual: born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but raised in the Netherlands. Zawadi addresses topics related to her bicultural background, friendship, and growing up. Due to her passion for writing, she initiated a platform for word art in The Hague called “Het Zwarte Schaap” (The Black Sheep).
Lena Claessen (Kunstbende year-end winner)
Lena Claessen (2004) is from Roermond. She is fascinated by the ability of language to express the indescribable in words. She prefers to write poetry and essays, but she also enjoys exploring how language relates to other media. In 2022, she was a finalist in Write Now! and in 2023, she won the national finals of Kunstbende Language with her poem about twilight. She has been published in the Optimist and Bij Nader Inzien and has performed at events like Frontaal. Lena loves newsreaders, strangers’ grocery lists, and unplanned train journeys.
Yentl van Stokkum
Yentl van Stokkum (1991) is a poet and playwright. In 2021, she made her debut with the collection “Ik zeg Emily” published by Hollands Diep, and in the same year, she received a C.C.S. Crone scholarship. She has performed at events like Lowlands, Poetry International, Dichters in de Prinsentuin, Brainwash Festival, and Oerol. Along with Joost Oomen and Stefanie Liebreks, she manages the popular Instagram account @poëzieiseendaad (poetry is an act). Their jointly curated anthology “Voor alle dagen” was published in June 2023 by Uitgeverij Podium. Van Stokkum’s second poetry collection, “Winterbloeiers,” was released two months later.
Pelumi Adejumo
Pelumi Adejumo is a runaway pastor’s child, writer, lucid dreamer, and singer. She writes about and with the complexities of migration and grief, gospel music, and alienation. Through the use of glossolalia, playing with confusion and multilingualism, she opens up contrary and rhythmic possibilities in language. She has created work for nY, de Gids, the National Theatre, deBuren, Nationale Opera & Ballet, Sonsbeek 20-24, and Mister Motley. She has performed at festivals such as Into The Great Wide Open and Read My World. She holds a BA in Creative Writing from ArtEZ University of the Arts and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Dutch Art Institute. She is also a programmer at the international literature festival Read My World.
Bahghi
Bahghi is een singer-songwriter, muzikant en producer geboren en getogen in Amsterdam in een Eritrees huishouden. Opgeleid als klassiek violiste vanaf 4-jarige leeftijd, ging ze naar het Conservatorium van Amsterdam in de afdeling Jazz Vocal en studeerde in 2018 Cum Laude af.
Haar livedebuutalbum All One ft. Rory Ronde & Ronald Snijders kwam uit op 11 november 2022.
