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06 Mar

19:30

KB nationale bibliotheek

Prins Willem-Alexanderhof 5, The Hague

In Dutch. A special multimedia evening about the work of Anna Blaman, one of the most distinctive and discussed Dutch queer writers of the 20th century, featuring a theatrical reconstruction of her 1949 mock trial.

The Anna B. Case

More info & tickets

Come to a special evening centered around the work of Anna Blaman, one of the most distinctive and discussed Dutch queer writers of the 20th century. How did Anna Blaman become one of the most important authors of her time – defying the sexism, disapproval of homosexuality, and cultural conservatism of post-war Netherlands?

Historian and literary scholar Merel Leeman forgoes a classic lecture, instead taking the audience on a multimedia journey. Using radio and film clips, letters, literary excerpts, and the minutes from the 1949 Book Tribunal, she makes the circumstances under which Blaman worked tangible.

The 1949 Tribunal

The highlight of the evening is a reconstruction of 'The Lonely Adventure Case,' a mock tribunal during the 1949 Book Week where Blaman's most famous novel, Eenzaam Avontuur (Lonely Adventure), was 'put on trial.' Led by fellow writers, the tribunal devolved into a distasteful, sexist spectacle. Tonight, actors and authors will re-enact this tribunal, allowing the audience to experience firsthand how writing, lesbian women were judged in that era.