Nothing Really Happened
Impressive debut novel about a woman’s reflection on her tattered life
Daan is blind. She has barricaded herself in her flat, crawling through the filth and the dark, waiting for the police to come. She has done something terrible — something she cannot undo — and she knows it is only a matter of time. We know this from the very first page. What we don't know is how she got here.
FictionPrint
Original title
Niets is echt gebeurd
Author
Joke van Vliet
Year of publication
2025
Publisher
Querido
Page count
232
Contact for translation rights
Martijn Prins
m.prins@singeluitgeverijen.nl
[object Object]
At its core, the book is driven by the struggles of a woman with two irreconcilable forces: those of mother and artist.
Trouw
An impressive work of literature by an author who should be more widely read.
NRC
A staggering story.
Literair Nederland
Joke van Vliet
Joke van Vliet (1970) is an author and visual artist. Her short-story collection Wanneer de herten komen (When the Deer Come, 2022) received widespread critical acclaim.