To the left of Germany is no coastline, instead two smaller countries are so far bravely keeping their heads above water. We know they're there. After all, they are keeping the water off us, so to speak. Those who don't live right next door like the NRWers might just know that the football isn't (was) bad, the chips and cheese delicious and that the language sounds very droll. Oh yes, and that the neighbours rumble south through our country with their funny supporters every year. But as is so common among good neighbours, none bothers the other to excess. Every now and then it's enough to look over and see if there's a funny smell next door. But far too rarely do people get together over a cup of coffee. Or even celebrate a neighbourhood party.
If we're going by that, the book fair has thought, this is no way to go on with our dear neighbours. Because when the book fair opens next week, <link http: www.buchmesse.de de ehrengast _blank>Flanders will be the guest country. Which is really fascinating, because it's not the Netherlands or Belgium that are invited, but "the Dutch language". Two comparatively small countries, with an enormously rich spectrum of culture, tradition and history. Who doesn't look forward to the words and books?
If you're interested in a very readable sweep through Dutch history, Gert Mak comes highly recommended. Two excellently translated novels by Remco Campert fascinate with their poetic language without drifting into the terribly flowery.
When I holiday on the <link http: www.flandern16.de _blank>Belgian and Dutch North Sea, I like to be inspired by the old seafaring tradition or the numerous old paintings in the museums, the merchant tradition and the architectural skill. So the motto of the book fair is logically <link https: www.facebook.com ehrengastfrankfurterbuchmesse2016 _blank>"Dit is wat wir delen" - this is what we share: not only novels, non-fiction and poetry are therefore presented, but also new forms of book art, creative industries and other art forms.
For the first time, the Book Fair is presenting a "Global Illustration Award" together with the International Information Content Industry Association (ICIA) as part of THE ARTS+, the new fair for cultural professionals and creatives.
The anticipation has apparently already gripped many in Frankfurt. Thus, the <link https: www.facebook.com mousonturm _blank>Mousonturm showed yesterday and still tonight as part of the "Tollen Künste" from <link https: www.facebook.com ehrengastfrankfurterbuchmesse2016 _blank>Flanders & The Netherlands Guest of Honour Frankfurt Book Fair 2016 the opera "Bosch Beach". An opera rich in sound, text and images inspired by <link https: www.facebook.com pages hieronymus-bosch _blank>Hieronymus Boschs disturbing visions of hell on earth. Staged by author <link https: www.facebook.com pages dimitri-verhulst _blank>Dimitri Verhulst, director Kris Verdonck, composer Vasco Mendonça, Amsterdam's <link https: www.facebook.com askoschonberg _blank>Asko|Schönberg Ensemble and Ghent's LOD muziektheater.
If you're in the mood for Flanders now, have a browse here: <link http: www.citybooks.eu en cities p detail antwerp _blank>Citybooks - about beautiful and cool cities in neighbouring countries