Laïla Koubaa as writer in residence in Amsterdam

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.

About the residency

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.