Peter Buwalda in conversation with Jelle van Riet

Peter Buwalda made his debut in 2010 with Bonita Avenue, which sold over 400,000 copies and won every major debut prize. His second novel, Otmar’s Sons (2019), topped the bestseller lists and received international acclaim. Now, six years later, he returns with his third novel, De Jaknikker.

In De Jaknikker, the long-awaited conclusion to the literary triumph Otmar’s Sons, we return to Ludwig Smit, the illegitimate son, and Shell CEO Johan Tromp. On Sakhalin Island, their relationship comes under intense strain as Ludwig advances his career as Tromp’s bag carrier. Together, they turn against journalist Isabelle Orthel, who inadvertently puts their bond to the test. Characters and pasts collide, weaving a dangerous fabric of suspicion and disappointment.

De Jaknikker (The Pumpjack) reaps what was sown in Otmar’s Sons, spanning the icy expanse of Siberia, the coast of Los Angeles, and the deceptively domestic streets of Leiden.