Ernest van der Kwast
Ernest van der Kwast (b. 1981, Bombay) published his first book in 2005 and had his breakthrough with the novel 'Mama Tandoori' (2010), which went on to become a bestseller in both the Netherlands and Italy.
Other works include the novella Giovanna’s Navel and the novel The Ice-Cream Makers, which has been sold to seven countries. His fluid, sensual style has charmed critics everywhere. As German daily FAZ put it ‘Ernest van der Kwast flutters around his storyline like a butterfly and his playfulness delights the reader.’ Van der Kwast is also active as an interviewer and columnist and, since 2016, as a volunteer counsellor for disadvantaged youth in Rotterdam.
More Ernest van der Kwast
Ernest van der Kwast
The Ice Cream Makers
In his bestseller 'Mama Tandoori', Ernest van der Kwast painted a vivid and hilarious portrait of an immigrant family. 'The Ice Cream Makers' is every bit as entertaining while tapping into a deeper seam of emotion. It is a delightful and sensual tale of poetry, love, family ties and the art of ice cream making.
Ernest van der Kwast
Mama Tandoori
In the autobiographical novel 'Mama Tandoori', Ernest van der Kwast paints a hilarious but moving portrait of his Indian and Dutch family. The protagonist is his mother, Veena. An Indian nurse, she comes to the Netherlands and, after a thousand rejections, finally marries prospective doctor, Theo van der Kwast. Once married, she turns out to be an exuberant fury who keeps her family strictly under her thumb – with a rolling pin, if necessary. She is particularly characterised by her search for discounts, bargains and special offers. Always looking for the cheapest, she believes ‘free is good’, even when it’s useless junk. ‘Never marry an Indian,’ is therefore Theo’s motto. Although a doctor and a researcher, his wife claims he earns no more than ‘a rickshaw puller in Bangalore,’ prompting him to mumble, ‘If only I were a rat in Delhi.’