In november 2016 I was asked to write a new, short history of Frisian literature. The book was published in 2018 to coincide with Leeuwarden-Fryslân being Cultural Capital of Europe (funnily enough after the city where I now live, Aarhus, had been Cultural Capital the year before). As Long as the Tree Blooms appeared in Dutch, Frisian, English and German.

In 2010, I edited the poet/writer Tjitte Piebenga's collected work. Piebenga (1935-2007) could be a harsh critic and for that reason not everybody liked him. However, I think his work is well worth reading. Piebenga was a talented poet and novelist, with a sharp eye for human failings. I also wrote a biographical essay for the book's introduction.

My PhD thesis Grimmig eerlijk. Anne Wadman en het probleem van de Friese literatuur (Grimly honest. Anne Wadman and the problem of Frisian literature) was published in December 2009. In this work, I focussed on the problems that one of them most important Frisian writers, Anne Wadman (1919-1997) encountered as a result of his decision to write in both Frisian and Dutch.

Also in 2009, a little book with collected columns appeared. The book was compiled by friends of mine for my PhD defence. It contained a selection of columns that I wrote for the (now defunct) literary internet journal Farsk (Fresh). In Se fine my allegear sa tûk ('They all think I am so clever') I write about living in Athens before the financial crisis, but also about my fascination for the EO (the Dutch Christian broadcasting company) and my fear of dogs. You can access the PDF-file of the book here.

Books