Ronald Giphart writer in residence at Leiden University this autumn
Writer in residence Ronald Giphart will explore a number of his own fascinations with Leiden students.
Leiden University’s annual writer’s residency gives students and lecturers the chance to come into contact with a well-known writer. This is someone who creates literature and is used to viewing the world and expressing themselves in a different way from the norm at the university. The writer’s residency is usually for three months per academic year.
Ronald Giphart (1965) made his debut in 1992 with the novel Ik ook van jou, now viewed as an instant classic in Dutch literature. This was followed by more novels including Phileine zegt sorry, Ik omhels je met duizend armen, Troost, IJsland, Harem and Alle tijd. Giphart’s impressive oeuvre now spans novels, non-fiction, cookbooks, novellas and even a graphic novel. In June 2020, Giphart published Wie waarlijk leeft, a loving no-holds-barred portrait of his feminist mother Wijnie Jabaaij. His novella Applaus was published in 2021. Liefde in tijden van corona was an ode to healthcare and as a form of support for local bookstores. In 2004, Giphart was awarded the C.C.S. Crone Prize, the city of Utrecht’s biennial literature prize, for his oeuvre.
Explore fascinations
This year is the 41st edition of Leiden University’s annual writer’s residency. In the 2024-2025 Writer in Residence course, Giphart and the students will explore some of his fascinations. In experiments, they will explore the evolutionary psychology of storytelling, the influence of AI on the writing process and the importance of language and humour, also in science.
Albert Verwey Lecture
The writer’s residency includes a public lecture, the Albert Verwey Lecture, which Giphart will give on Thursday 21 November 2024 at 20.00 in the Great Auditorium at the Academy Building. For more information, keep an eye on the university’s writer’s residency page.
Writer’s residency
Leiden University has had a writer’s residency since 1985. This is a partnership between the university and the NRC newspaper.
Gerard Reve was the first writer in residence. He was followed by writers including Judith Herzberg, Frans Kellendonk, Adriaan van Dis, Joost Zwagerman, Anna Enquist, Renate Dorrestein, Arnon Grunberg, P.F. Thomése, Joke van Leeuwen, Tom Lanoye, Karin Amatmoekrim, Bibi Dumon Tak, Antjie Krog and Christiaan Weijts and, in 2023, Nicolien Mizee.
