We are pleased to announce the upcoming St. John & St. Philip Autumn Book Fair, taking place on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
The fair will feature:
•A wide range of books for all ages
•Selections in English, Dutch, and other languages
•A Bric-a-Brac sale
•Refreshments: coffee, tea, and cakes
Location: Ary van der Spuyweg 1 / Riouwstraat 2, Den Haag
For inquiries, please contact us at churchoffice@stjohn-stphilip.org or 070-355 5359.
STORYHOUSE WORKS IS PROUD TO PRESENT…
‘FOLLOWING VAN GOGH’ BY TEA GUDEK ŠNAJDAR
THE HEIST IS ON — BUT WHERE WILL IT TAKE HER?
Restless Lizzy has been running from her past for years — but a welcome escape is about to turn into a perilous race against time…
“She’d been looking for excitement… Now she certainly had it”
When museum guide Elisabeth Bernard is entrusted with a mysterious painting, she leaps at the chance to research it. But passionate Lizzy’s quest for the truth soon leads her into danger as she crosses Europe on a route once travelled by her favourite artist.
Meanwhile, back in 1880s Scheveningen, aspiring painter Vincent van Gogh is searching for inspiration, companionship and his own distinctive style. As Lizzy’s plight escalates, so Vincent’s anguish intensifies, with famously tragic consequences.
A BRUSH WITH HISTORY
An art-heist adventure told through the eyes of an art historian, Following Van Gogh is a parallel journey of self-discovery; a tale of passion, and what we are prepared to risk in pursuit of it.
Blurring the boundaries between fact and fiction, the narrative features evocative biographical passages which frame the fast-paced modern-day narrative, painting a vivid portrait of one of the world’s best-loved artists. The book is also full of insights into Van Gogh’s process as a painter, from his resourceful habit of using both sides of a canvas to his frequent feat of completing pictures in a single sitting — a custom he honed in Provence, where the mistral winds rapidly change the light and colour of the landscape.
Praise for Following Van Gogh:
“A perfect story for lovers of both art and crime novels… You’ll explore one of the most exciting periods in art history, while gaining insight into the black market… A captivating tale you can read in one sitting” — Lena Puhar O’Grady, Art Historian and Archaeologist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tea Gudek Šnajdaris an art historian, travel writer and editor of the Culture Tourist blog. She also works as a guest guide at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, where the idea for her novel first took shape: “Exploring Van Gogh’s artwork in detail always made me wonder how much the locations in which he lived and worked influenced the themes, colours and brushstrokes in his paintings,” Tea explains. “In 2019, I embarked on my dream trip: a fortnight’s exploration of locations linked to Vincent van Gogh in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. That trip was so inspiring, it sparked the idea of writing a novel.”
Whether recreating the remote beauty of Glanum archaeological park or an increasingly industrialised Paris on the cusp of art revolution, Tea’s talent as a travel writer shines through the narrative, sparking curiosity for the places and paintings we encounter along the way, and fostering a rich understanding of their context.
Price €24.99 from followingvangogh.com. Also available as an eBook, price €8.99. For press queries, call 06-43620268 or email tea@culturetourist.com.
Follow Tea’s blog at culturetourist.com and facebook.com/culturetourist or check out her Instagram (@culturetourist).
The American Book Center in Amsterdam is hosting a book presentation and signing on Friday, June 27 from 16:00-17:30. RSVP (free) here.
STORYHOUSE WORKS IS PROUD TO PRESENT…
‘UNEXPECTED GIFTS: STORIES OF CHANGE’
AN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT STORIES, COMPILED BY HANNAH HUBER
“Sometimes, life glitches so that you can rewrite the code”
—S.A. Grant
Midlife has a habit of forcing change. Whether we’re in a career or marriage cul-de-sac, caring for aging parents or coping with empty-nest syndrome, we find ourselves re-evaluating our lives as never before. So what does it take to spark meaningful change?
Unexpected Gifts is an anthology of sixteen short stories and essays, a reflection on midlife and its inflection points. With authors spanning seven countries, these “Stories of Change” explore some of life’s biggest questions through a variety of voices. Alongside successful writers and podcasters, we hear from a social worker, a psychologist, a widow, and a lawyer; a “single mom by choice” and a father honoring the loss of his son. By experiencing change through the eyes of others, we challenge our own choices and begin to lean into new possibilities.
SHARING CIRCUMSTANCE AND OFFERING PERSPECTIVE
“I’ve learned that midlife is not a ‘dirty’ word, nor is it confined to one decade,” says Author Hannah Huber, who compiled and curated this special anthology for Storyhouse Works after experiencing her own personal inflection point (a story detailed in the book’s introduction). “This special but pressured time forces us to examine our own values and make big, sometimes risky decisions, or smaller, significant changes. Often there’s a trigger: a moment, a person we encounter, or an experience that brings on these changes. These are the unexpected gifts.”
The book was inspired by stories of people in Huber’s direct environment, and so it follows that local Amsterdam artists were commissioned for the collection. Author portraits—by Patricia Velasco, Tanja Bladt-Cohen, and Anna Demina— accompany each story, just one of the many reasons this special anthology will serve as an inspirational resource and gift for generations to come.
Now available worldwide. Price €19,99 Paperback / €29,99 Hardcover / €9,99 eBook.
See storyhouseworks.com/unexpectedgifts for more. Follow Storyhouse Works on instagram.com/storyhouseworks
Rita Bullwinkel (US), one of the most exciting literary talents in the U.S., is coming to BorderKitchen on the 13th of June for her first Dutch appearance. She will be in conversation with Thomas Heerma van Voss about her debut novel Headshot.
Each of the eight teenage girl boxers in this thrilling debut novel has her own reasons for coming to Reno, Nevada, to compete for the Daughters of America Cup. Round by round, you get to know the participants. Bullwinkel seemingly effortlessly sketches their backgrounds and gives a glimpse of how the girls will fare in their future lives. Headshot is written close to the skin; you can smell the sweat and fear, feel the desire for success and the jealousy.
Rita Bullwinkel previously published the short story collection Belly Up, that won the Whiting Award in 2022. Her articles have been published in White Review, bomb, noon, and Guernica. She is editor at large for McSweeney’s, associate editor of The Believer, editor for noon, and the founder of Oral Florist. She is an assistant professor of English at the University of San Francisco.
There will be a signing session afterward. Her book (Dutch/English) will be available for purchase at the event.
Location: BorderKitchen, Kerkstraat 11, The Hague
Ticket price: 7.50 euro
Start time: 20:00 (doors open 19:30)
Welcome to our series of community stories about international residents in The Hague and surrounds.
Nilo Rondelli is a Brazilian author and a storyteller who connected his business experience and his passion for education with a master’s degree in development studies.
A father of two, he believes in the power of stories to shape young minds and inspire kindness, empathy, and emotional growth.
Currently living in the Netherlands, Nilo finds joy in writing, especially for children, crafting stories that nurture curiosity and resilience while making learning an engaging and magical experience.
Nilo shares his story below of how he became an author of children’s books in multiple languages.
Would you like to share your story with The Hague Online community? Please see our submission guidelines.
For several years, I stayed in mine: commercial executive. I can’t complain, I started my career as a Sales Representative and became a CEO before turning 40.
But success is relative. I still felt I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose.
I decided to take a leap of faith: I resigned from the corporate world, moved to the Netherlands with my wife and daughters, and returned to academia to pursue a master’s degree in Development Studies. I knew that education is a powerful tool for transforming lives—it changed mine. And I believe it will give my kids a better chance to succeed in the future.
I always tell my daughters they can be whoever they want, follow their dreams, and do what they love. I also remind them that we don’t have to limit ourselves to just one thing in life. But what about other children? I know not everyone has the same opportunities. Still, all of us are driven by our beliefs—and beliefs are shaped by stories. So let me tell you one:
Since my daughters were born, bedtime stories have become a tradition in our home. Until one day… we ran out of books. So, I started making up my own.
To my surprise, they loved them even more! My daughters encouraged me to write a book, but my first thought was: “I’m not an author.” I had put myself back in the box.
But then I decided to take my own advice. I picked the story they loved the most, wrote it down… and published it.
It may sound simple in one sentence, but in reality, it took me six months to make it happen. From deciding to write the book to actually finishing it, I had to overcome Impostor Syndrome and remind myself: the only thing that separates an author from a non-author is one book.
They say “good is the enemy of great.” But instead of paralyzing myself chasing perfection, I just did the best I could—with a lot of love and effort. After all, delivering something good beats never delivering something great.
To my surprise, it was good enough. My first book became a top seller—without investing a single cent in advertising. That gave me the courage to write a second book… and then start a series.
There is life outside the box.
Leave your message to the world!
And in the meantime, share mine with the kids you love and want to empower:
👉 https://amzn.eu/d/0fgzq9O
Available paperback format in English, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese. Also available as e-book at Kindle in English and Portuguese.
Book 1 – English: https://amzn.eu/d/0fgzq9O
Book 1 – Dutch: https://amzn.eu/d/9rdLGpf
Book 1 – Spanish: https://amzn.eu/d/8PkbB5S
Book 1 – Portuguese: https://amzn.eu/d/84ibt7n
Available in paperback format in English.
Book 2 – English: https://amzn.eu/d/hVp2fnV
Contact Nilo Rondelli
www.linkedin.com/in/nilorondelli
www.nilorondelli.com (site under construction, available soon)
In this new English-language book released this month, readers can learn the history of the Hopjes, the frikadel panggang, the Hague bluff, the Hague kakker and the famous braudje è met ùi . It is a book about the culinary history of our residence with excursions to other typical Hague things, peculiarities and anecdotes.
Nelly de Zwaan has roots in The Hague. Her father spoke the dialect of The Hague, but she was in class with daughters of ministers and diplomats. Her interest in good food led to a job as a cookbook editor. Later she switched to the world of magazines, where she wrote about lifestyle, culture and culinary matters. Since completing a study in socio-economic history, she has worked freelance. She has published several recipe books.
Nelly de Zwaan | The Hague Cookbook | Published February 10th by Het Zwarte Schaap
ISBN 978 94 928 2129 4 | Hardcover | Language: English | 80 pp. | €14,99
