Which book will win the NS Audience Award 2023 this year? The six nominated books were announced this evening. EenVandaag spoke to the six nominated writers about their books and readers.
These are the six nominated books: ‘Alter Ego’ by Esther Verhoef, ‘De Camino’ by Anya Niewierra, ‘Het Koninklijk Huis’ by Herman Koch, ‘Koraalrif’ by Suzanne Vermeer, ‘What silence wants’ by Arthur Japin and ‘We were, I am’ from Israel van Dorsten.
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‘Alter Ego’ by Esther Verhoef
The thriller author has been nominated for the NS Audience Award for the tenth time this year: “When I write, I write intuitively. I am not so concerned with a plot or a chapter, somehow the writing comes from my subconscious.”
Alter Ego is a psychological thriller about a star chef, his young wife Lynn and her lover. “I also get feedback from readers that they recognize themselves in my book,” says Verhoef. “That they no longer read the words, but disappear into the world behind the words. As if they are watching a movie or are there themselves.”
‘Alter Ego’ by Esther Verhoef
‘On the Road’ by Anya Niewierra
The fact that she has been nominated for an audience award is extra special for author Anya Niewierra: “What touches me is that I have come to this place because so many people have read my book. That gives me goosebumps again.”
The book is about Lotte and her husband Emil, a refugee from Bosnia and Herzegovina, who commits suicide while walking the Camino. “A very special moment was in a bookstore where I gave a lecture, there were a number of people from Bosnia. They were so touched by my book that we shed tears together.”
‘On the Road’ by Anya Niewierra
‘The Royal House’ by Herman Koch
A satirical novel about a modern royal drama, that is the book by Herman Koch: “People say: ‘You dare to write things that I didn’t know you were allowed to think.’ But while writing this book, I never wondered for a moment whether it was actually possible,” says Koch. “I didn’t try to write an anti-royal book at all. It should remain fun for them if they were to read it.”
The author likes to receive responses from his readers: “For me, the best thing about contact with readers is that I’m walking somewhere and someone on their bike slows down and says: ‘Good book!'”
‘The Royal House’ by Herman Koch
‘Coral Reef’ by Suzanne Vermeer
Suzanne Vermeer, a writing pseudonym, has been nominated again, but who is this author? “She is the best-kept secret in the Netherlands,” says Anna Jansen of UW Bruna, the publisher that publishes Suzanne Vermeer’s books.
Whoever is behind the successful thriller, the publishing house is happy with all its readers: “We are very happy with this nomination. It would not have happened without the great author, but also not without all those great readers.”
‘Coral Reef’ by Suzanne Vermeer
‘What silence wants’ by Arthur Japin
For author Arthur Japin, the nomination is a crowning achievement for his work: “All my characters are outsiders, people who cannot communicate well, and secretly I am that kind of person too. Through those books I managed to reach those people, so a prize of the audience is of course the top.”
His book is about Anna, a woman from the 19th century who wants to become a singer. Yet at that time that was unthinkable for a girl from her background. “She is looking for a voice, but is forced by the environment to be silent. And yet she succeeds. Those kinds of people are my heroes.”
‘What silence wants’ by Arthur Japin
‘We were, I am’ by Israel van Dorsten
A story about his own childhood, hidden on a farm in Ruinerwold, Drenthe, that is this book by Israel van Dorsten: “It is a story that hopefully inspires others as well. That no matter what situation you are in, you can get out of it and learn lessons from it.”
He receives many reactions from readers to his book: “I always find that very nice to read, to get those reactions back. What people gained from it is often very personal.”
‘We were, I am’ by Israel van Dorsten
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Vote for NS Audience Award
The Collective Propaganda of the Dutch Book Foundation (CPNB) has opened the digital ballot boxes for the NS Audience Award 2023. You can cast your vote here, until Wednesday, November 8. The winner will also be announced that day.
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2023-10-11 16:45:02
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