Say it in Dutch Newsletter
 

Maart 2007

 

In this March Newsletter:

Maart 2007

Boekenweek 2007 >>
Geert Mak >>
Dutch ebooks online >>
Learning to read Dutch >>
 Expression of the month >>

 

   

Boekenweek

March 14-24: Book's week

From March 14 until March 24th we have the so called boekenweek in The Netherlands. It’s all about writers on tour and about fiction and non fiction. During this period all bookshops offer special events concerning writers and books.

Boekenweek 2007
 

Every year the ‘boekenweek’ has another theme. This year’s theme is ‘humour and comedy’.
They even have just invented a brand new punctuation mark to be used by writers to express irony: the so called irony mark (see picture below)!
 

You can download three fonts for using this new irony mark by clicking here >>>

It's a zip file. Unzip it and copy the files named :

  • Cardo Irony RegularCentury
  • Catalogue Irony Regular
  • Share Irony Regular

into the directory named:
C:/WINDOWS/Fonts

 

 

  Now you can use them by choosing one of these specific fonts first and then pressing SHIFT + 6, followed by a space. But beware: only use this mark if you really want to express irony ^

 

 

 

 

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Writer

Geert Mak

During 'Boekenweek', you get a special book as a gift if you spend at least EUR 11,50 on Dutch books in any book shop. This gift is called ‘het boekenweekgeschenk’ (the bookweek’s present), and they invite another famous writer each year to write it. This year’s writer of the gift book is Geert Mak. The title is ‘De Brug’ (the Bridge), printed in 900,000 copies. For the first time there is also a Turkish translation available: Köprü.

De Brug, by Geert Mak (boekenweekgeschenk 2007)Köprü, by Geert Mak. Turkish translation of De Brug. Boekenweekgeschenk 2007

Read more (in Dutch) >>

Geert Mak, Dutch historian and journalist

Geert Mak
(1946)

If you happen to travel by train in the Netherlands on Sunday March 18th, be sure to bring ‘De Brug’ by Geert Mak with you: the book will be your legal (2nd class) train ticket throughout the country during that day. No need to buy any ticket if you have the book at hand. And what’s more: there will be many Dutch comedians be performing in the train, too!

 

Geert Mak is a very popular Dutch writer. He is an enthusiastic journalist and historian and describes contemporary history in a literary, almost poetic way. His works are based upon all kinds of real personal, human stories. He always writes about ordinary people and observes every detail.

He is a great storyteller.

He has sold more than half a million copies of ‘De eeuw van mijn vader’ (The century of my father) . His latest book ‘In Europa’ (in Europe) already sold 350,000 copies.

 

Listen to the pronunciation of
‘Boekenweekgeschenk’

Book's Week Gift

 

Dutch eBooks

Dutch eBooks

If you are interested in finding Dutch novels or stories in electronic format, you certainly should visit www.ebook.nl

eBook.nl
This online shop has Dutch (and other) titles in fiction and non fiction. They offer them in various formats, like adobe pfd or Microsoft reader.

During Boekenweek they offer a free download of one essay by Geert Mak until March 24th (taken from the book "Zeven slechte dagen voor de waarheid").

Literature online

Other Dutch literature can be read or downloaded for free at the Dutch Digital Library: http://www.dbnl.org/

Digitale Bibliotheek voor Nederlandse literatuur
Digital library of Dutch Literature

Most titles are classics (from the Middle Ages untill the beginning of the 20th century), but you will find many contemporary works, too, like Geert Mak or poems by Remco Campert (see our January newsletter).
It is a growing collection of primary and secondary information on Dutch language and literature and its historical, societal and cultural context. You can even search by century, province or town, using the Atlas. It also offers information about Dutch culture and language. A very interesting site!

And finally, if you are searching for the names of Dutch writers, take a look at this list of Dutch Writers (Wikipedia) >>

   

Learning to read Dutch

Help is at hand

While most language schools offer many different languages, Say it in Dutch Language School offers only one: Dutch!

A great way to improve your knowledge of Dutch is by reading children's books. They are written in easy language, close to spoken language.

Jip en Janneke verhalen

Jip en Janneke by Annie M.G. Schmidt is an excellent book for reading practice. The little Dutch stories are very useful for foreign students of Dutch, and they are a funny read, too. Do you know that the famous Iranian/Dutch writer Kader Abdolah actually learned Dutch as a grown-up by reading Jip en Janneke? And in Dutch we even have the expression 'Jip en Janneketaal' (Jip and Janneke language) to refer to clear, easy and understandable language ... read more >>

 

 

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Say it in Dutch!

Expression of the month

Het gaat niet volgens het boekje!

It is not done by the book, it is done against the rules


 

Listen !Listen!
Gratis geschenk tijdens de boekenweek!