Books

Directory of Translators

Grants Awarded

Grants

Discover

About the Foundation

Catalogues

Contact

Discover our fiction titles

Fiction

The best non-fiction from the Netherlands

Non-fiction

Recently published Children's Books

Children's Books

Browse through our selections

A complete list of titles in our database

All Books

Books & Authors

Find an accredited literary translator in your language

Searchable bibliography of translations from the Dutch

Translation Database

How to get accredited as a literary translator

Sign Up as a Translator

Translators

All possibilities for financial support

An overview of recently awarded translation grants

Our current residencies for international writers and translators

Residencies

Mission statement and general info

Frequently Asked Questions

Meet the team

Departments and staff

Latest news

What's happening

Get in touch

Our activities and projects

Programs

Discover who we are and what we do

About Us

Göteborg 2027

Laïla Koubaa (1977) is the daughter of a Tunisian father and a Belgian mother, and grew up in the Flemish village of Eggewaartskapelle. She holds a master’s degree in Eastern Languages and Cultures and is currently pursuing an academic degree in Visual Arts at LUCA, School of Arts in Ghent.Her debut Azizi en de kleine blauwe vogel (Azizi and the Little Blue Bird, Book Island, 2013) tells the story of young Azizi, who follows a blue bird on a symbolic journey. The story took shape during the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia in 2011 and has since been translated into English, French, Danish, and Chinese. This was followed by Hoger dan de bergen en dieper dan de zee (Uitgeverij Vrijdag, 2015), in which Koubaa tells the story of Monji, who migrates from Tunisia to Europe as a laborer in the 1970s.During her residency in Amsterdam, Koubaa will be working on the graphic novel Tot aan de overkant, in collaboration with illustrator Anneka Robeyns. The story follows Layla, a Middle Eastern journalist and ceramicist, who, during a trip to Tunisia, is confronted with the death of her mother and a magical diary that draws her into the past.Koubaa will also continue writing Kortverhalen over het slapen gaan (Bedtime Stories) and will give readings and workshops, including at Athenaeum Bookstore on Spui. There, she will lead a workshop based on her latest book Emile, de prins van het licht (De Eenhoorn, 2024), introducing children to the life and work of painter Emile Claus.<h2>About the residency</h2>Each year, the Flemish literary organization Passa Porta and the Dutch Foundation for Literature exchange an author for a residency opportunity in Belgium and the Netherlands. Passa Porta selects a Flemish author for a residency in Amsterdam, and the Dutch Foundation for Literature selects a Dutch author for a residency in Brussels. Flemish authors can express their interest in a stay in Brussels directly to Passa Porta.Previous Flemish residents in Amsterdam include Lies Van Gasse, Jeroen Olyslaegers, Maud Vanhauwaert, Tom Struyf, Roderik Six, Peter Terrin, Anne Provoost, Saskia de Coster, Max Greyson, Rudi Meulemans, and Bart Meuleman.

Performances

News

Topicals

June 2 – June 27 2025

Asset

Assets

Poet Chris Tse, from New Zealand, will be staying at the Amsterdam Writers Residency from June 2st to June 27th, upon invitation by the Dutch Foundation for Literature and Poetry International, where he will perform during the annual poetry festival.

Chris Tse as a writer in residence in Amsterdam

Links

More news

Welsh writer Carys Davies will be staying at the Amsterdam Writers Residency from March 31st until April 28th, upon invitation by the Dutch Foundation for Literature.

Carys Davies writer in residence in Amsterdam

Writer Bart Meuleman is staying in the Amsterdam writers' residence from 26 August to 23 September, at the invitation of Passa Porta and the Dutch Foundation for Literature.

Bart Meuleman writer in residence in Amsterdam

Dutch-Aruban poet Alfred Schaffer will be staying at the Amsterdam Writers Residency from May 1st to June 14th, upon invitation by the Dutch Foundation for Literature and Poetry International, where he will perform during the annual poetry festival.

Alfred Schaffer writer in residence in Amsterdam

Flemish children’s author Laïla Koubaa will stay at the Amsterdam Writers Residency from 1 to 28 July, at the invitation of Passa Porta and the Dutch Foundation for Literature. Each year, the Flemish literary organization Passa Porta and the Dutch Foundation for Literature exchange an author for a residency in Belgium and the Netherlands.