Vincent Overeem (b. 1974) has published short stories in the literary magazines De Gids and Tirade and is a regular guest on the cultural radio programme De Avonden. He made his debut in 2005 with Novembermeisjes (November Girls), a story collection. It was much praised by the critics and got nominated for the Gerard Walschap Literature Prize. Overeem’s equally well-received first novel, Misfit, was published in 2008.
(De Bezige Bij, 2008, 253 pages)
In Amsterdam one stifling hot summer, an eighteen-year-old boy experiences an intense, physical love for his girlfriend, who is two years older: ‘Kaat with her blazing eyes. Kaat who sat on a chair with that concentrated expression as she varnished her nails. ‘Look, isn’t that a cute colour?’ and she’d stick her foot out towards me, wiggling her toes. Who liked kissing you best of all while you were eating ice-cream. “Lovely cold tongue you’ve got now. With flavour to it.” Who always undressed underpants first, wandered around bare-assed for a bit and only then took off her top and her bra.’
