About Crossing Border
Crossing Border is one of the oldest and most innovative music and literature festivals in Europe, and the leading international festival of its kind in The Netherlands. Since 1992, we have been welcoming the biggest names in music and literature, as well as showcasing new and exciting talent from The Netherlands and beyond.
The Crossing Border Antwerp edition takes place in the same week as the festival in The Hague and is organized in collaboration with Arenberg, DE Studio en Boeken & Letteren stad Antwerpen.
During the year we often organize smaller literary events in The Hague.
International music and literary stars including Salman Rushdie, Sally Rooney, Colson Whitehead, Nick Cave, and Hilary Mantel have all stepped onto the stage at Crossing Border over the last three decades. But we are equally excited about the raw talent we help promote.
From the world of literature, guests have included:
Isabel Allende, Michael Cunningham, Dave Eggers, Allen Ginsberg, Germaine Greer, Michel Houellebecq, Karl Ove Knausgård, Elmore Leonard, Norman Mailer, Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, Marilynne Robinson, Sally Rooney, Salman Rushdie, David Sedaris, Colson Whitehead
Crossing Border also features a live music programme with artists from different genres of alternative pop music. There are also performances of multidisciplinary artists and cross-overs. Here are some of the top-class musical artists who have joined us over the years.
Coldplay, Boubacar Traoré, David Byrne, Nick Cave, Fleet Foxes, Bob Geldof, PJ Harvey, Emmylou Harris, Lou Reed, Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, St. Vincent, Patti Smith, Kae Tempest, The National, The Black Keys, Rufus Wainwright
"It was the first European arts festival I’d attended, and since then I’ve never been to a better one, anywhere. It was electric, eclectic, fun-loving, and highly democratic."
- Dave Eggers
"For many, many writers, musicians and artists, Crossing Border Festival IS Holland and the Netherlands – it is what we associate the country with: an engine of meeting and discoveries and memorable concerts and book events.”
- Alan Warner
History
It all began in 1991, in a small bookstore in Amsterdam
Bookseller Louis Behre had a small Amsterdam shop that was always well-stocked with a diverse range of titles from around the world, and the eclectic selection and welcoming vibe made it a favourite haunt of writers including the Dutch poet Simon Vinkenoog.
Organisation
Crossing Border is organized by Stichting Other World Productions, a non-profit organization which aims to promote literature and reading through compelling live events in which audiences can interact with writers from all over the world.
Past events include Het Voorwoord, Walk the Line Festival, The Music in My Head, Crossing Border Antwerpen, Crossing Border Enschede, and Words on Fire (Crossing Border Maastricht).
Team
Management / board
Michel Behre, Director
Production
Sara Halbertsma, Production
Remco Cornelissen, Technical Production
Fabiene Soeters, Production
Coordination
Anna Eble, Coordinator The Chronicles
Elinor Archer, Coordinator education
Mina Javadian, Coordinator The Addict
Sanne Pheninckx, Coördinator literature programme
Communication
Goeleke van den Heuvel, Communication & website
Thamar Kempees, Marketing
Programme
Daniëlle Zawadi, Programmer You'll have to scream LOUDER
Amanda Steck, Programmer Kids' Programme
Supervisory board
Louis Pirenne, Chairman
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Louis Pirenne is a former cultural official, worked as head of culture for the municipality of Haarlem and as a cultural booster in the Amsterdam North and Nieuw-West districts. Before that, he worked in the theater and festival world. He has been involved with Crossing Border in various ways from the very beginning and has been chairman of the Supervisory Board since 2022. He believes in the power of the written, spoken and sung word. Within the Supervisory Board he pays extra attention to topics such as Governance, Diversity & Inclusion and Social Safety.
Mischa Blok
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Mischa Blok is a radio host and podcaster.
She is featured every day on NPO Radio 1 in her interview programme MISCHA! She also presents VINK, the Podcast Guide of the Netherlands and Het Echte Leven, about non-fiction books. In addition, she is a writer. In January 2023, her book 'Mama Lee' was published and received the Opzij Literature Audience Award. As an RVT member, she focuses mainly on (social) media and publicity strategies.
Kiran Sukul
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Kiran Sukul is an experienced board member and museum professional. At the Council for Culture, she focuses on museums and intangible heritage. Prior, she spent over a decade at the Hague Historical Museum. With a background in classical Indian dance, she brings deep expertise in culturally diverse performing arts and cross-cultural connections. On the Supervisory Board, she pays close attention to diversity in all its forms, as well as the foundation’s social impact and overall quality. She approaches cultural governance with both a legal mindset and a human perspective.
Michaël Roumen
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Michaël Roumen is manager of ten Dutch and Flemish literary authors. Previously, he was director of the Leiden Cultural Fund and a consultant at the intersection of culture and economy. As a Supervisory Board member, he is extra motivated to think about the position and perspective of the authors and the long-term strategic and business development of the festival.
Babeth Fotchind
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Babeth Fotchind is a poet, writer and human rights lawyer. She works in policy and in the cultural-societal field. Her acclaimed poetry collection Plooi was published in 2022 and she is currently working on a debut novel and second collection. As a COE member, Babeth brings both the perspective of the writer and artist and the managerial perspective. She previously read her poetry on one of Crossing Border's stages. That was a taste for more, which made her willing to commit to the international literature festival for a longer period of time.
Contact details
ANBI
Stichting Other World Productions
Address
Kerkstraat 11, 2514 KP Den Haag
Email address
KvK-number
411572021
Crossing Border has the status of a cultural ANBI (Public Benefit Organization with Cultural Status).
Donors of an ANBI are allowed to deduct their donations from income tax or corporate tax. To be eligible for the deduction of periodic donations, the donor and the ANBI must record the donation in an agreement.
For donors to cultural ANBIs, there is an additional deduction for donations. Individuals can multiply their donation to a cultural ANBI by 1.25 in their income tax return and deduct it as a donation. Corporations subject to corporate tax can deduct 1.5 times the amount of such a donation in their corporate tax return.
Here is the link to the form for the publication obligation of an ANBI.
Vacancies
Privacy
We currently have a vacancy available:
Click here to read our privacy statement
Press
For press inquiries: michel@crossingborder.nl
