9 - Donna Tartt in the Netherlands

Donna Tartt has written a new book. It won't be published in another month or so - in English that is - but it is already available in Dutch. Apparently, there are strong bonds between her and her Dutch publisher De Bezige Bij, in the person of Robbert Ammerlaan. What is it that Dutch publishers do that writers allow them to publish their novels in Dutch before English? John Irving (also De Bezige Bij) and Nicci French (Ambo/Anthos) do the same: first a Dutch publication, then an English one. Strange. But never mind.

Yesterday, I was at the Stadsschouwburg in Amsterdam, where Donna Tartt's latest novel Het puttertje (The Goldfinch) was presented. I had won tickets through Facebook, so luckily I didn't have to pay a pricy 50 euros (however, this did include the book). Robbert Ammerlaan held an introduction, Kim van Kooten and Jacob Derwig (two Dutch actors) read some pages of her first two books (I really liked Derwig's reading!), and then, finally Donna Tartt appeared on stage. First, just a silhouette behind a curtain, and then 'live' as she was first hugged by Robbert Ammerlaan and then being interviewed by Arjan Peeters. My God, she is tiny (she is only 1.52 metres)! Especially, when seeing her next to Arjan Peeters with his long gangly legs, big feet, and trousers too short. I always find she looks a bit like a schoolmistress, stern and rigid, wearing rather old fashioned clothes. But when she starts talking, she opens up and is really very friendly and intelligent. Peeters didn't have any spectacular questions for Tartt, but maybe this just wasn't the time and place for it. Something that bothered a lot of people in the audience though, was that Peeters told us so many details about her book. I'd rather read the book and find them out myself, thank you very much. 

Anyway, I really liked seeing Donna Tartt in person and hearing her talk about her new novel. The book sounds really interesting. Last Saturday, it was reviewed in one of the best Dutch newspapers De Volkskrant; it got five out of five stars. I'm really looking forward to reading my signed copy!