Rozige Maanvissen by Sytse Jansma wins the C. Buddingh’-prijs 2024

June 01, 2024

Poetry International awards the C. Buddingh' Prize 2024 to Rozige Maanvissen by Sytse Jansma (publisher Atlas Contact). This was just announced on the radio 1 program Een uur cultuur. "This collection is electrified, you can sense from everything that these poems had to be break out", said the jury consisting of Joost Oomen (chairman), Lisette Ma Neza and Toef Jaeger. 'A bundle that leaves you with a lump in your throat, without getting sticky'.

The C. Buddingh' Prize honors the best Dutch-language poetry debut of the year and is awarded by Poetry International since 1988. The prize carries a sum of 1,500 euros. Next to Rozige Maanvissen, De maan schijnt feller in de Metaverse by Merel van Slobbe, De richting is richting omleiding by Bob Vanden Broeck and Indolente by Dewi de Nijs Bik were nominated.

The jury on Rozige Maanvissen:

'In Rozige Maanvissen wordt een persoonlijk lijden, het plotseling verliezen van een geliefde, verheven
tot grootse poëzie. Daar streven natuurlijk meer dichters naar, maar het bijzondere van deze bundel is
dat de gehele poëtische trukendoos open wordt gegooid, een trukendoos die de dichter goed kent en
uitmuntend weet in te zetten, maar dat de authenticiteit en rauwheid van het verdriet dwars door al
die trucs heen schijnt. Je gelooft de dichter wanneer hij, bijna wanhopig soms, alles wat taal kan zijn
tot een reddingsboei probeert te maken.'

Sytse Jansma lives in Harlingen and is a poet and visual artist. He published two collections of poetry in Frisian and his work appears in literary magazines such as De Revisor, de Moanne and Ensafh. With his poetry he often seeks cross-overs with other art forms: music, theater and visual arts.

Buddingh' Talent at Poetry International Festival

On Saturday, June 8th, Sytse Jansma will appear at the Poetry International Festival Rotterdam together with the three nominees Merel van Slobbe, Bob Vanden Broeck and Dewi de Nijs Bik in the interdisciplinary showcase Buddingh' Talent, in which the four will create new work together with musician Cedric Vermue.

The C. Buddingh' Prize

Since 1988, Poetry International has annually awarded the best Dutch-language poetry debut with the C. Buddingh' Prize. Poetry International thus draws attention to talented new voices in Dutch poetry. Joke van Leeuwen, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Anna Enquist, Lieke Marsman, Ellen Deckwitz, Lucas Rijneveld and Radna Fabias are among the laureates. In 2023 the prize went to Alara Adilow for Mythen en stoplichten.