Sjoerd Kuyper and Sanne te Loo
The Dive
A gem of magical realism set on the colourful island of Curaçao.
For this work of magical realism, Sjoerd Kuyper found inspiration on the island of Curaçao. He organised his thoughts in emails to his children, with songs, a monologue, a newspaper article. That was how the form of the book came about: ‘a love letter to the island of Curaçao, in 25 genres,’ as one reviewer wrote.
The focus is on 11-year-old Roly and Mila. They are looking for Roly’s dad, who has disappeared. Run off with another woman, scoffs Roly’s mum, but the reality turns out to be more exciting: Roly’s dad is lost in time. Ever since he dived under the pontoon bridge at new moon, he has been missing. Roly and Mila decide to bring him back to the present.
Masterfully, Kuyper combines diary excerpts, film scripts and comics to create a flowing and sparkling story, in which the perspective is constantly shifting. Sanne te Loo’s dreamy watercolours reinforce the atmosphere of magical realism, transporting the reader to the enchanting colours of Willemstad.
