De Studio - Grote Zaal

Femke van Grootel

Martelaar!

Iranian-American Kaveh Akbar (1989) was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to America when he was two, where he now teaches at the University of Iowa. He has previously published the poetry collections

During Crossing Border, Akbar will talk at Crossing Border about his debut novel 

Cyrus lives in a small room in a shared apartment with a pile of dirty laundry and overdue library books as his only possessions. In the idle hours since giving up booze, he spends most of his time thinking about writing and not doing so, meditating on the deeper meaning of his Iranian background. What he really wants is to die. To achieve the ultimate martyrdom. That's in Iranian nature, he argues. Wandering through life, he hears about the Iranian artist Orkideh who puts on a performance at the Brooklyn Museum in New York: Death-Speak. She spends her last weeks and days at the museum as she dies of cancer and engages in conversations with visitors. This is what he needs. He takes the plane to New York, but the conversations he has with Orkideh bring him not closer to death, but to life.

Kaveh Akbar

Iranian-American Kaveh Akbar (1989) was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to America when he was two, where he now teaches at the University of Iowa. He has previously published the poetry collections Pilgrim Bell and Calling a Wolf a Wolf, as well as the chapbook Portrait of the Alcoholic. His poems have appeared in The New York Times and Paris Review. During Crossing Border, Akbar will talk at Crossing Border about his debut novel Martyr!.

Arenberg

Rashif El Kaoui

Presents his debut novel Martyr!, in which an ex-alcoholic tries to achieve ultimate martyrdom.

In conversation with Kaveh Akbar

Een dag in het leven van Abed Salama

American writer Nathan Thrall combines fiction and non-fiction - and with great success. He writes for 

. From one of his publications for the latter magazine came the idea for his book 

In this novel, we follow five-year-old Milad Salama, who is on his way with his class to a playground near Jerusalem when the school bus catches fire. Milad’s father Abed rushes to the scene but gets caught up in a bureaucratic maze. Thrall describes the heartbreaking search, painting a human portrait of the tragic struggle and history of Israel and Palestine. The book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Non-fiction.

Nathan Thrall

American writer Nathan Thrall combines fiction and non-fiction - and with great success. He writes for The New York Times, The London Review of Books and The New York Review of Books. From one of his publications for the latter magazine came the idea for his book A Day in the Life of Abed Salama, which received worldwide acclaim.

Rachida Lamrabet

paints a human portrait of the tragic struggle and history of Israel and Palestine.

In conversation with Nathan Thrall

Marshmallow

Simone Atangana Bekono (b. 1991) writes prose and poetry. In 2020, she published her debut novel 

, which received rave reviews and was awarded multiple literary prizes.


In early 2024, Atangana Bekono's second poetry collection 

was published, in which we are introduced to a dog, a woman and a bedroom in “a very normal apartment. Everything comes into question in this collection in which poetry constantly questions, contradicts and undermines itself. Using a variety of registers, Atangana Bekono brings grotesque imagery, eroticism, everydayness and violence together in the clashing memories of two voices that once must have sounded sweetly together, resulting in poisonous, funny, and poignant poetry.

Simone Atangana Bekono

Simone Atangana Bekono (b. 1991) writes prose and poetry. In 2020, she published her debut novel Confrontations, which received rave reviews and was awarded multiple literary prizes.

Reads from her recently published second poetry collection Marshmallow, full of poisonous, funny and poignant poetry.

Reading Simone Atangana Bekono

Sjaan Flikweert is interdisciplinair podiumkunstenaar. Ze maakt spoken word poëzie, muziek, dans, theater en film. Ze maakte de audiovisuele dichtbundels ergens thuis en de ruimte ertussen en De werkelijkheid heeft mij niet nodig, waarmee ze werd geselecteerd voor verschillende festivals. Ook organiseert ze BYMEKAAR, een tweemaandelijks improvisatieconcert met muziek, spoken word en dans. Voor haar hebben verhalen de magische kracht mensen te verbinden.

Sjaan Flikweert

Sjaan Flikweert is interdisciplinair podiumkunstenaar. Ze maakt spoken word poëzie, muziek, dans, theater en film. Ze maakte de audiovisuele dichtbundels ergens thuis en de ruimte ertussen en De werkelijkheid heeft mij niet nodig, waarmee ze werd geselecteerd voor verschillende festivals. Ook organiseert ze BYMEKAAR, een tweemaandelijks improvisatieconcert met muziek, spoken word en dans. Voor haar hebben verhalen de magische kracht mensen te verbinden. 

Benjamin De Roover (1996) is dichter. Hij groeide op in Zottegem en studeerde in Gent. Daar was hij jarenlang betrokken bij Auw La, een studentenvereniging voor poëzie en spoken word. Hij is redacteur bij tijdschrift nY en Flemish Review de la Poëzie. Gedichten van hem verschenen onder meer in Samplekanon, Kluger Hans, Deus Ex Machina en Het Liegend Konijn. Momenteel woont hij in Amsterdam, waar hij werkt als boekhandelaar.

Benjamin De Roover

Benjamin De Roover (1996) is dichter. Hij groeide op in Zottegem en studeerde in Gent. Daar was hij jarenlang betrokken bij Auw La, een studentenvereniging voor poëzie en spoken word. Hij is redacteur bij tijdschrift nY en Flemish Review de la Poëzie. Gedichten van hem verschenen onder meer in Samplekanon, Kluger Hans, Deus Ex Machina en Het Liegend Konijn. Momenteel woont hij in Amsterdam, waar hij werkt als boekhandelaar. 

Soukaïna Bennani (1995) is woordkunstenaar, host en organisator. Soms is ze maatschappelijk bezeten, soms een sukkel voor de liefde, maar altijd een poëet met haar hart op de tong. In haar werk speelt vrouwelijkheid een belangrijke rol. Sinds 2019 is ze moeder van Pillow Talk, een warm en intiem podium waar ze haar collega-dichters een plek geeft om te shinen. In 2022 bemachtigde ze een plekje in de finale van het Gents Slampioenschap.

Soukaïna Bennani

Soukaïna Bennani (1995) is woordkunstenaar, host en organisator. Soms is ze maatschappelijk bezeten, soms een sukkel voor de liefde, maar altijd een poëet met haar hart op de tong. In haar werk speelt vrouwelijkheid een belangrijke rol. Sinds 2019 is ze moeder van Pillow Talk, een warm en intiem podium waar ze haar collega-dichters een plek geeft om te shinen. In 2022 bemachtigde ze een plekje in de finale van het Gents Slampioenschap. 

Vlinder Verouden (1999) legt schitteringen vast in woord en beeld. Als dichter, spoken word artiest, trans onderzoeker en veelvuldig deler op Instagram probeert Vlinder deze schitteringen te vangen voordat ze verdwijnen in het licht van de nieuwe maan. Sommige schitteringen gaan over trans zijn, andere over rouwen als een vorm van liefhebben en weer andere over het platteland eeuwig met je meedragen. Vlinder is coördinator bij Poetry Circle 070, mocht afgelopen maart op schrijfresidentie met Noordwoord en heeft in mei bij Atlas Contact een essay gepubliceerd in een publieksbundel over Taylor Swift.


Vlinder Verouden

Vlinder Verouden (1999) legt schitteringen vast in woord en beeld. Als dichter, spoken word artiest, trans onderzoeker en veelvuldig deler op Instagram probeert Vlinder deze schitteringen te vangen voordat ze verdwijnen in het licht van de nieuwe maan. Sommige schitteringen gaan over trans zijn, andere over rouwen als een vorm van liefhebben en weer andere over het platteland eeuwig met je meedragen. Vlinder is coördinator bij Poetry Circle 070, mocht afgelopen maart op schrijfresidentie met Noordwoord en heeft in mei bij Atlas Contact een essay gepubliceerd in een publieksbundel over Taylor Swift. 

Mahat Arab (1996) is een Arnhemse spoken word-artiest. Zijn teksten gaan over identiteit, onwennigheid en de humor die gepaard kan gaan met ongemak. Hij stond onder meer op de Nacht van de Poëzie, Lowlands, Down The Rabbit Hole en Zwarte Cross. Zijn werk verscheen in De Revisor en Het Parool. Ook ging hij met deBuren op schrijfresidentie naar Parijs. Verder is Arab literair programmamaker bij Poetry Circle, Mensen Zeggen Dingen en Brainwash Festival.

Mahat Arab

Nicole Kaandorp (Boedapest, 1997) schrijft korte verhalen, essays en podiumpoëzie. Daarnaast presenteert en organiseert ze literaire programma's in Utrecht en haar woonplaats Amsterdam. Ook is ze onderdeel van de redactie van Mensen Zeggen Dingen. Voorheen maakte ze Nederlandstalige poëzieliedjes met de band Kopje Onder. In 2023 won ze het NK Poetry Slam.


Nicole Kaandorp

Nicole Kaandorp (Boedapest, 1997) schrijft korte verhalen, essays en podiumpoëzie. Daarnaast presenteert en organiseert ze literaire programma's in Utrecht en haar woonplaats Amsterdam. Ook is ze onderdeel van de redactie van Mensen Zeggen Dingen. Voorheen maakte ze Nederlandstalige poëzieliedjes met de band Kopje Onder. In 2023 won ze het NK Poetry Slam.

Loeke Vanhoutteghem (1996) schrijft slam poetry, gedichten, verhalen, liedjes en theaterteksten. Ze heeft een voorliefde voor experiment en het podium. Ze werd zowel Gents als West-Vlaams slamkampioen. Vanhoutteghem is als vocalist vast lid van het jazzimprovisatie-ensemble Safety Last Soundpainting Ensemble. Ook is ze onderdeel van van de Nederlandstalige punkformatie Maria Iskariot. Als schrijver is ze verbonden aan het Kortrijkse Letterzettercollectief.

Loeke Vanhoutteghem

Loeke Vanhoutteghem (1996) schrijft slam poetry, gedichten, verhalen, liedjes en theaterteksten. Ze heeft een voorliefde voor experiment en het podium. Ze werd zowel Gents als West-Vlaams slamkampioen. Vanhoutteghem is als vocalist vast lid van het jazzimprovisatie-ensemble Safety Last Soundpainting Ensemble. Ook is ze onderdeel van  van de Nederlandstalige punkformatie Maria Iskariot. Als schrijver is ze verbonden aan het Kortrijkse Letterzettercollectief.

Met veel enthousiasme kondigen we CROSSED aan: een nieuw literair uitwisselingsproject dat de grenzen tussen twee Nederlandstalige taalgebieden doet vervagen. CROSSED brengt schrijvers uit Vlaanderen en Nederland samen en biedt deze talenten de kans de mogelijkheden van een literair podium te verkennen. 

Deze lichting bestaat uit zes getalenteerde schrijvers: Mahat Arab, Benjamin de Roover, Loeke Vanthouttenghem, Soukaïna Bennani, Nicole Kaandorp en Vlinder Verouden. Deze schrijvers werken in de aanloop naar Crossing Border samen aan een podiumpresentatie. Onder begeleiding van coach Sjaan Flikweert verkennen ze hoe hun schrijfwerk het beste tot zijn recht komt.

CROSSED 

Na de zon

Jonas Eika (b. 1991) is one of Denmark’s most exciting writers. They have won several awards, including for their debut novel Marie House Warehouse, about night work in a hi-tech warehouse. Their second book, the short story collection After the Sun, was also praised. In it, they describe the global crisis that can be felt under the skin every day. Young boys on a beach in Cancun service wealthy people under the sun. In Copenhagen, an it consultant is seduced by a pale young man who introduces him to derivatives trading. A grieving old man finds a strange object in the desert that increasingly absorbs him. Consciously or unconsciously, they all participate in the unravelling of this world in preparation for the world to come.

Jonas Eika

Arno Van Vlierberghe

Describes in their work the global crisis that is being felt under our skin every day.

In conversation with Jonas Eika

Lied van de profeet

On a dark, rainy evening in Dublin, there is a knock at Eilish Stack’s door. Two agents from the new Irish Secret Service want to speak to her husband, vice president of the Education Union. When Eilish’s husband is arrested, she is besieged by unpredictable forces she cannot resist. How far can she go to save her family?

by Paul Lynch (1977) is a heartbreaking tale of a country at war and a human portrait of mother trying to hold her family together. A novel about a future that proves terrifyingly close.

, Paul Lynch received the 2023 Booker Prize, the most important English-language literary award. His novels have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Paul Lynch

For his most recent novel, Prophet Song, Paul Lynch received the 2023 Booker Prize, the most important English-language literary award. His novels have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Melissa Giardina

Won the Booker Prize with Prophet Song, about a future that proves frighteningly close

In conversation with Paul Lynch

Beton

Fleur Pierets (b. 1973) is a writer, artist and activist. Her work balances between photography and theory, performance and non-fiction. Pierets is an ardent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Together with her wife Julian P. Boom, she founded 

, featuring conversations with queer musicians, visual artists, writers and performers. In 2017, the two launched 

 together, a performance artwork in which the couple wanted to marry in any country that allowed LGBT marriage at the time. After her wife's untimely death in 2018, Pierets wrote the book 

 (‘Delicious Monster’) and the children's book 

 (‘Concrete’), published this year, she looks all loneliness in the eye. She goes in search of the stories that hurt her, to let all the anger surface and feel all the fear she has for the future.

Fleur Pierets

Fleur Pierets (b. 1973) is a writer, artist and activist. Her work balances between photography and theory, performance and non-fiction. Pierets is an ardent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Together with her wife Julian P. Boom, she founded Et Alors? Magazine, featuring conversations with queer musicians, visual artists, writers and performers. In 2017, the two launched 22 The Project together, a performance artwork in which the couple wanted to marry in any country that allowed LGBT marriage at the time. After her wife's untimely death in 2018, Pierets wrote the book Julian. In 2022, she published her novel Heerlijk Monster (‘Delicious Monster’) and the children's book Alle Dagen Sneeuw (‘All Days of Snow’).

Looks all loneliness in the eye in her new novel Beton.

Reading with Fleur Pierets

Onze dagelijkse oorlog

For more than two and a half years the war in Ukraine has been raging. Slowly but surely, all those horrors are disappearing from the front pages in many countries. But for Ukrainians, the battle is still in full swing, Andrey Kurkov shows in his penetrating war diary, 

. What are trench candles? What is it like not even to be shocked anymore when you hear that another acquaintance has died? And is there still room for art, music and literature when the bombs keep falling? A poignant appeal from Ukraine’s most important writer to keep supporting his country.


Andrey Kurkov (b. 1961) has written many novels, including the recent 

. He regularly appears in international media to comment on the state of his country. His work has been translated into 36 languages.

Andrej Koerkov

Andrey Kurkov (b. 1961) has written many novels, including the recent Grey Bees and Diary of an Invasion. He regularly appears in international media to comment on the state of his country. His work has been translated into 36 languages.

Alicja Gescinska

Calls attention to the struggle in Ukraine with his war diary.

In conversation with  Andrej Koerkov

Het geluid van een tijdperk

Buenos Aires-born Ariana Harwicz (b. 1977) has been compared to none other than Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath. In her prose, you will find violence, eroticism, irony and criticism of relationships that we quietly consider the norm.


Harwicz studied screenwriting and drama in Argentina, performing arts at the University of Paris and comparative literature at the Sorbonne. Her first novel 

 was named the best novel of 2012 by the Argentine daily 

. The book is being filmed by Martin Scorsese, starring Jennifer Lawrence. With her latest book,

, Harwicz takes her first steps into non-fiction, in her signature ruthless style.

Ariana Harwicz

Heleen Debruyne

Combines violence, eroticism, irony and criticism of relationships we quietly consider the norm.

In conversation with Ariana Harwicz

Sheherazaad - Mashoor (Official Music Video)

Today, migration seems to be encoded into everyday habits. As so many of our minds and bodies aggressively globalise in unprecedented ways, previously fixed “genres” and identities of any kind are constantly being dismantled, made redundant, and born anew.It’s from this space of flux that American composer and vocalist 

 derives song. Her forthcoming mini-album, Qasr, produced by star musician Arooj Aftab, was engendered during a time of family estrangement, grief over a lost elder, and the racial polarisation of her country as she knew it. 

Translating to “castle” or “fortress” in Urdu, Qasr is indeed a monument —like encapsulation of the real strains of displacement, the push and pull of diaspora, and the depravity of erasure and forgotten roots.

Sheherazaad

Today, migration seems to be encoded into everyday habits. As so many of our minds and bodies aggressively globalise in unprecedented ways, previously fixed “genres” and identities of any kind are constantly being dismantled, made redundant, and born anew.It’s from this space of flux that American composer and vocalist Sheherazaad derives song. Her forthcoming mini-album, Qasr, produced by star musician Arooj Aftab was engendered during a time of family estrangement, grief over a lost elder, and the racial polarisation of her country as she knew it.

Nobody's Empire

You obviously know Stuart Murdoch as the lead singer and songwriter of Belle & Sebastian. The Glasgow band has released 12 studio albums since its formation in the 1990s, including 

. Murdoch also wrote, composed and directed the film 

, about romantic music lover Stephen, who is diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome after a lengthy hospital stay. The illness deprives him of any prospect of work and a social or independent life. When Stephen discovers that he does manage to write songs, albeit slowly and carefully, the possibility of a spiritual life beyond the mundane opens up.

Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian)

You obviously know Stuart Murdoch as the lead singer and songwriter of Belle & Sebastian. The Glasgow band has released 12 studio albums since its formation in the 1990s, including If You're Feeling Sinister and The Boy With the Arab Strap. Murdoch also wrote, composed and directed the film God Help the Girl in 2012.

Bent Van Looy

Belle & Sebastian frontman presents his debut novel Nobody’s Empire.

In conversation with Stuart Murdoch

Ik wens mijn huis as

Moscow poet and activist Daria Serenko (b. 1993) knows the harrowing effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the inside. While in prison for supporting opposition leader Navalny, she began writing 

. In it, she urgently and poetically explores guilt, violence, activism and exile.


In addition to being a writer, Serenko is a co-founder of the Feminist Anti-War Resistance movement, founded in February 2022 to protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine. For its efforts, the organization was awarded the Aachen Peace Prize 2023. Serenko was named one of the 100 most influential women of 2023 by the bbc.

Daria Serenko

Moscow poet and activist Daria Serenko (b. 1993) knows the harrowing effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the inside. While in prison for supporting opposition leader Navalny, she began writing Ik wens mijn huis as. In it, she urgently and poetically explores guilt, violence, activism and exile.

Pieter Boulogne

Writes from the inside about Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In conversation with Daria Serenko

Introducing the Fela Kuti Celebration Band! This vibrant tribute honors the legendary pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti. The ensemble is dedicated to preserving Fela's original compositions while infusing them with their own unique touch.

Each performance is a high-energy celebration, where infectious grooves and pulsating beats inspire the audience to dance and experience pure musical ecstasy. It’s an unforgettable night where tradition meets innovation, and the spirit of Fela Kuti continues to thrive.

Fela Kuti Celebration Band

Introducing the Fela Kuti Celebration Band! This vibrant tribute honors the legendary pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti. The ensemble is dedicated to preserving Fela's original compositions while infusing them with their own unique touch.


Earth to moon

What is it like to grow up as the daughter of a world-famous musician? Moon Unit Zappa (b. 1967), daughter of musician Frank Zappa and his ‘manager’ Gail.

Her life has been utterly extraordinary from her birth in 1967 into a family that was already blessed/cursed as music royalty thanks to the acknowledged genius of Frank. But what are the consequences of growing up in a family who spend most of their time naked arguing about sexual/extra-marital liaisons and practising white magic in a free-for-all state of nonconformist, virtuoso abandon?


Moon Unit Zappa appeared in Frank Zappa’s career-defining song 

 at age 14. Since then, she has established herself as a writer, actress, comedian, artist, podcaster and tea merchant.

Moon Unit Zappa

Lee Brackstone

Recounts in her memoir Earth to Moon her extraordinary childhood as the daughter of musician Frank Zappa.

In conversation with Moon Unit Zappa

Dius

When student Dius rings his teacher Anton’s doorbell and offers him his unconditional friendship, everything in their lives begins to shift. What binds them is their desire to live in another time – the space of the polders, the sublime painting, the beauty that is lost. And which will still, albeit too late, make one of them famous, despite the heavy scars that life inflicts on them. In his latest novel 

, Stefan Hertmans tells the irresistible life story of an immoderate artist’s soul, in a gripping novel about friendship, love and vulnerability.


Stefan Hertmans (b. 1951) writes novels, theater texts, essays and poems. His work has been awarded the AKO Literature Prize and the Constantijn Huygens Prize, among others. His novel 

Stefan Hertmans

Stefan Hertmans (b. 1951) writes novels, theater texts, essays and poems. His work has been awarded the AKO Literature Prize and the Constantijn Huygens Prize, among others. His novel War and Turpentine has sold over 250,000 copies.

Jelle van Riet

In conversation with Stefan Hertmans

Oroppa

Safae el Khannoussi's (b. 1994) work focuses on the paradoxical existence of the migrant. She is currently pursuing a PhD in political philosophy on abolishing prisons. She previously published stories in 


This summer she barged in the literary scene with her debut novel 

, about a group of outcasts who become involved in the mystery of Salomé Abergel, the famous artist who suddenly disappears at the height of her career. All wander around and cross each other's paths because of the mystery that connects them: who is Salomé Abergel really, and where did she go? A whirlwind tale set in Amsterdam, Tunis and Paris, among other places.

Safae el Khannoussi

Safae el Khannoussi's (b. 1994) work focuses on the paradoxical existence of the migrant. She is currently pursuing a PhD in political philosophy on abolishing prisons. She previously published stories in De Gids.

writes about the paradoxical existence of the modern migrant.

In conversation with Safae el Khannoussi

Roufaida - كلمات / Kalimat (Official Video)

Roufaida - Canvas (Official Video)

Roufaida makes introspective indie pop with guitar, guembri and beats, with lyrics in brisk and vulnerable English, Arabic and Riffin. Her music echoes the North African diaspora. Her sources of inspiration include Björk, Fairuz and Aldous Harding.


Roufaida has been a support act for Eefje de Visser and Balthazar, among others, and has performed at festivals such as Into The Great Wide Open, Motel Mozaique and Welcome to the Village.

Roufaida

Roufaida makes introspective indie pop with guitar, guembri and beats, with lyrics in brisk and vulnerable English, Arabic and Riffin. Her music echoes the North African diaspora. Her sources of inspiration include Björk, Fairuz and Aldous Harding.

Waak over haar

Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s (1971) work is known for its narrative and emotional power. They are stories about childhood, friendship, art, love and loss. Andrea debuted in 2017 with the novel 

, marked his definitive breakthrough as a novelist.


In 2023, Andrea received the Prix Goncourt, France’s most prestigious literary prize, for his fourth novel, 

, about the love between two people who should never have met: Viola, the heiress of a prestigious Genoa family, and Mimo, a brilliant apprentice sculptor who was born into poverty. The long-awaited Dutch translation will be published in October 2024 just before his visit to Crossing Border.

Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s (1971) work is known for its narrative and emotional power. They are stories about childhood, friendship, art, love and loss. Andrea debuted in 2017 with the novel My Queen. His second novel, One Hundred Million Years and a Day, marked his definitive breakthrough as a novelist.

Dirk Leyman 

Received the prestigious Prix Goncourt for his fourth novel Watching Over Her, about the love between two people who should never have met.

In conversation with Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Few Bits - Come On Home

Few Bits, led by Karolien Van Ransbeeck, is back. The band debuted in 2013 with a self-titled album, which included the radio hit single 

, garnering praise from critics, fans and fellow artists. None other than The War On Drugs subsequently invited Karolien to be the Scandinavian support act for their 2014 tour. Her second album 

 only enhanced that reputation, garnering international attention.


After a hiatus, the band got back together in 2022, and spring 2025 will finally see the long-awaited third album, with colorful reflections on past and present. Despite its bittersweet undertones, the album exudes anything but gloom. Perhaps Few Bits’ most refreshing and sunny-sounding album to date. At Crossing Border, Few Bits will play several songs from the new album in its set.

Few Bits

Few Bits, led by Karolien Van Ransbeeck, is back. The band debuted in 2013 with a self-titled album, which included the radio hit single Shell, garnering praise from critics, fans and fellow artists. None other than The War On Drugs subsequently invited Karolien to be the Scandinavian support act for their 2014 tour. Her second album Big Sparks only enhanced that reputation, garnering international attention.

Vogel

Ottla - Jardin

Ottla - Droomvogel

, a band named after Franz Kafka’s favourite sister, was initially formed by guitarist 

 (Dans Dans, Flying Horseman) for a one-off Jazzlab concert series in 2019. What began as a fleeting experiment swiftly evolved into a full-fledged 6-piece band, leading to the creation of a debut album and numerous performances.


Their second full-length, Vogel (Bird), emerged in 2024 as a vibrant and diverse exploration of jazz, improv, electro, noise, prog, afro, blues, groove, punk, and krautrock. Ottla  transformed into a quartet, with Bert Dockx, 

  (drums, percussion, synts, guitar). Ottla's journey is captured in the album, with the spontaneity and dynamics of live performances preserved. The result is an exciting and transformative musical experience.

Ottla

Ottla, a band named after Franz Kafka’s favourite sister, was initially formed by guitarist Bert Dockx (Dans Dans, Flying Horseman) for a one-off Jazzlab concert series in 2019. What began as a fleeting experiment swiftly evolved into a full-fledged 6-piece band, leading to the creation of a debut album and numerous performances.