About

Short bio: I’m a young Dutchman, almost done with my MA in Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam. I enjoy listening to music, writing, reading (or all at the same time), spending time with my soulmate, our three guinea pigs, and various other things. I write in Dutch and English, in a vain attempt to please both my love of my mother tongue and my desire to reach out to kindred spirits who happen not to be able to read it.

About my work: I take an eclectic approach to writing, blending my influences in a way and form that feels most natural for me. Currently, short stories are my main form of writing, because they allow me to express my ideas in the best way. Generally, I build up a story around a central theme or motif, rather than a rigorous plot or development. You could say I deal more in images and visions than in stories. That doesn’t mean there is no development at all in my writing, just that it doesn’t always need to be driven by it.

I draw influence from diverse sources, the most important being folklore, mythology, imaginative fiction, and contemporary literature and poetry. All my work has a literary tinge, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker, but I always try to make it a bit more than just a story. Another major influence on my work is music; I’m often inspired by a song or album, and evocative music generally helps me continue a line of thought. Like a good beer, it frees my mind just enough to get the thoughts flowing just that bit more freely.