A Word For
A philosophical and literary exploration of what would happen if a country's language suddenly began to disappear
'"Careless" is the first word. It is only missed much later.' Not only do the words start to fade in Meijer's fictional world but, even more poignantly, they begin to vanish from the novel itself. Meijer and their characters resort to makeshift clusters of letters and, finally, to an entirely different language.
Meijer's novel shows how the world is held together by words and language. The early losses go almost unnoticed, but when 'geld' (money) disappears, the real trouble begins: its absence is noticed by everyone. When the word 'verliefd' (being in love) no longer exists, people wonder if they still can be in love without the language to describe it?
Through the lives of various characters -- a banker, a poet, the prime minister, a group of concerned citizens and a linguist -- the author sketches the political consequences of losing a language as well as its effects on daily life. Above all, this is a love letter to language: by taking words away, Meijer makes us see how precious each one is.
Eva Meijer writes novels, essays, poetry and academic philosophy. They are one of the most translated Dutch writers of their generation, with work published in more than 20 languages. In 2025, they won the Dutch Nature Book Prize for Muizenleven (The Life of Mice).
The award for most original novel of 2026 is already in the bag for philosopher Eva Meijer.
Trouw
Touching and disturbing.
De Volkskrant
A razor-sharp, wicked take on the state of society.
NRC
Irresistible, alarming.
Het Parool
