German book podcast about Dutch and Flemish literature
Kopje Koffie #9: Stefan Hertmans
15 June 2022
Starring in the ninth episode of Kopje Koffie, the German book podcast about Dutch literature: Flemish writer Stefan Hertmans talks to Katharina Borchardt about his new book De Opgang (De Bezige Bij, 2020). In April of 2022, the book was published in German by Diogenes, under the title Der Aufgang, translated by Ira Wilhelm.
De Opgang
When Stefan Hertmans decides to buy an old house in Ghent, he has no idea of the stories that have happened behind its walls. He goes in search for traces of the former residents and discovers the story of an SS officer and his pacifist wife. De Opgang paints a multifaceted family portrait, centered around a man whose nationalist beliefs have fueled extreme acts and crimes. Driven by a need for understanding, Hertmans approaches these characters while at the same time illuminating the tragedy of a country.
Hertmans tells Borchardt about the novel, his career, his writing habits and coffee rituals.
De Opgang is translated into French and German. English, Italian, Polish, Croatian and Slovenian translations are in preparation. More information can be found in the Translation database.
Listen to this episode of Kopje Koffie via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Deezer, or via the website of the Dutch Foundation for Literature.
Kopje Koffie (Cup of Coffee) podcast
The Dutch Embassy in Berlin and the Dutch Foundation for Literature, in cooperation with Flanders Literature and the General Representation of the Government of Flanders, produce the Kopje Koffie (‘Cup of Coffee’) podcast, aimed at German readers and listeners. Dutch writers with a new translation in German are invited to talk about their work. The podcast is a journey through the current Dutch-language literary scene and is the ideal introduction to 2024, when the Leipzig Book Fair presents the Netherlands and Flanders as guest countries.
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