SAM IS OUT IN ESTONIA

Last year the Estonian publishing company Päike ja Pilv bought the Estonian rights to six of my books. Translator Kerti Tergem has been working hard and hard and hard, because every half a year one of the books will be published.

This week the first one is out. It's KOER NIMEGA SAM, the Estonian translation of TOEN KWAM SAM (THEN THERE WAS SAM). Illustrator Philip Hopman and me are really proud to see this book in Estonia and I'm quite lucky to do so, soon, in person: at the end of May I'll be attending the fantastic HeadRead-festival in Tallinn. 

Thanks to publisher Katrin Reinmaa and translator Kerti Tergem, and the support of the Dutch Literary Fund.

THE CANCERCHAMPIONSHIP FOR JUNIORS GOES TO GERMANY

The book is not even out yet, but already publishing house Carlsen bought the German rights of THE CANCERCHAMPIONSHIP FOR JUNIORS (HET KANKERKAMPIOENSCHAP VOOR JUNIOREN), the book that is based on all the interviews I did with Roy Looman (20), about his lifestory: getting cancer at an early age, and at the same time having friends, kissing girls, working at the supermarket, caring about your little brothers.

The book, with its direct, uninhibited tone will be out in april this year in Holland, and one year later in German, translated by Rolf Erdorf.
Both me and Roy are very pleased!

THE OKAPI-BOOK IS OUT THERE!

The book in defense of the lovely okapi that I made with illustrator Martijn van der Linden is out now. We worked for years on this 160-page-non-fiction book, and it became a book through which we try to convince all of our readers that the should take the okapi to their new favourite animal. And in the book we provide the reader with 88 reasons for doing so. I'm really happy that we could work so long on this book and that our publishing house Querido let us do so, and let us make a book in full-colour and with a beautiful design. Thanks. We are really proud.

NOMINATION FOR THE GERMAN YOUTH LITERATURE AWARD!

Wonderful news: it was announced yesterday that the German translation of my book DERTIEN RENNENDE HERTJES (THIRTEEN RUNNING DEER) is nominated for the prestigious German Youth Literature Award (Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis).

The book came out at Gerstenberg in a flawless translated by Rolf Erdorf. The exuberant pictures were made by Mattias De Leeuw. In October (Oct 16th), during the Frankfurt Bookfair, the winners will be known.

Thanks for all who contributed to this book and congratulations to all the other nominees. More info is to be found here.