RomanReuzen (Novel giants)

Fewer and fewer people, especially young people, are reading books. RomanReuzen (Novel giants) wants to change that. This national reading promotion project is an initiative of journalist and programme maker Frénk van der Linden and photographer Fjodor Buis. RomanReuzen focuses on inspiring new generations of readers through powerful portraits, in-depth interviews and meetings with writers. The exhibition RomanReuzen in Museum Hilversum is part of this broader initiative.

With the exhibition, the makers Fjodor Buis and Frénk van der Linden portray fifty remarkable Dutch novelists with compelling portraits and in-depth interviews in podcast form. They capture not only the faces, but also the sources of inspiration of these writers. Each portrait consists of a studio photo and a recording at a location that is of special significance to the writer.

In the accompanying interviews, the authors talk about the novels that deeply touched them and how these have influenced their own work. The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to view the portraits, listen to fragments from the interviews and discover the books that inspired the writers. RomanReuzen thus sheds a unique light on the mysterious process of inspiration and creation within literature.

What is there to do?

Outdoor exhibition on the Kerkbrink
In addition to the exhibition in Museum Hilversum, there is also an outdoor exhibition on the Kerkbrink. From 19 April, a number of the beautiful portraits of Fjodor Buis can be seen for a month in the heart of Hilversum. View the portraits and listen to the accompanying podcasts on site.

50+ podcast interviews
Frénk van der Linden spoke to fifty writers about their work and the books that inspired them. The conversations are available for free on all well-known podcast channels and in Dutch libraries and schools.

National meetings in 50 libraries
Students from three secondary school classes interview writers and discover how stories come to life.

The book RomanReuzen
Parallel to the exhibition, the book RomanReuzen will be published by Luiting-Sijthoff. In this book, 52 writers, including Adriaan van Dis, Erna Sassen and Tommy Wieringa, talk about the novels that deeply touched them and how these influenced their own work.

masterclasses

• Masterclass photography (May 8, Museum Hilversum)
  Fjodor Buis teaches you how to create a portrait that captures not only appearance, but also character.
  7 PM - 9.30 PM, €15,- p.p.
  Buy ticket

• Masterclass interviewing (May 22, Museum Hilversum)
  Frénk van der Linden reveals the secrets of a good interview. How do you ask sharp questions? How do you really get someone talking
  2 PM - 4.30 PM, €15,- p.p.
  Buy ticket

About Stichting Mediaplein/LAB Mediaplein
Stichting Mediaplein, a collaboration between Beeld & Geluid, Museum Hilversum and Bibliotheek Hilversum, aims to make ‘Hilversum Mediastad’ visible and tangible for all Hilversum residents. The RomanReuzen project shows how you can tell a story through different media. Through images, but also using the medium of podcast and then specifically in the form of an interview. You will learn how to do that during one of the workshops in LAB Mediaplein.

About the makers Fjodor Buis and Frénk van der Linden
Fjodor Buis is a renowned portrait photographer, known for the project ‘Dienaren van de Kroon’, in which he captured ministers and prime ministers. For RomanReuzen he photographed fifty writers and brought their love of literature to life.

Frénk van der Linden has been interviewing for de Volkskrant, NRC and Kunststof (Radio 1) for forty years and makes TV documentaries. For RomanReuzen he spoke to 52 writers about their work and the books that inspired them. The podcasts are available free of charge to all libraries and educational institutions.