Essays on Contemporary Dutch Literature

Dutch culture continues to attract curiosity and interest worldwide, even more so now that many are puzzled by the shifting image of the Netherlands in the 21st century: from a country with a long-established progressive tradition and of diffuse cosmopolitanism to a polarized country where a part of the public opinion reverts to nationalism and isolationism. The book examines contemporary Dutch literature, both fiction and nonfiction, that raises topical themes and preoccupations and documents as much as shapes the discursive formations in society around migration, diasporic identity and the cultural memory of colonialism, slave trade and coal mining. Transnationally oriented authors tackle these issues in ways that appear relevant to a global audience.