In conversation with Astrid Roemer
Interviewer
Karin Amatmoekrim
Photographer:
Raul Neijhorst
Author
Astrid Roemer
Acclaimed Dutch-Surinamese author Astrid Roemers made her breakthrough in 1982 with On a Woman’s Madness, the story of a woman in Suriname determined to live a life of her choosing after escaping from an abusive marriage. Considered a classic of queer literature, it was translated into English for the first time in 2023 and is finding new audiences all over the world.
Roemers has won numerous literary awards in The Netherlands, and her latest novel DealersDochter (DealersDaughter) tells five inter-linked narratives of different characters facing pivotal decisions in their lives.
Sixteen-year-old petty criminal Brandon travels from Suriname to The Netherlands to try and find a new path in life. The daughter of a Surinamese woman murdered in a Dutch town tries to come to terms with the family’s history. The daughter of a man suspected of murdering her has her own demons to contend with.
Slowly the strands come together to form a surprising meditation on race, belonging, and the fragility of happiness.