Rita Bullwinkel

Rita Bullwinkel (US), one of the most exciting literary talents in the U.S., will come to BorderKitchen on the 13th of June for her first Dutch appearance. Thomas Heerma van Voss will talk to her about her debut novel Headshot.

Each of the eight teenage girl boxers in this thrilling debut novel has her own reasons for coming to Reno, Nevada, to compete for the Daughters of America Cup. Round by round, you get to know the participants. Bullwinkel seemingly effortlessly sketches their backgrounds and gives a glimpse of how the girls will fare in their future lives. Headshot is written close to the skin; you can smell the sweat and fear, feel the desire for success and the jealousy.

Rita Bullwinkel previously published the short story collection Belly Up, that won the Whiting Award in 2022. Her articles have been published in White Review, bomb, noon, and Guernica. She is editor at large for McSweeney’s, associate editor of The Believer, editor for noon, and the founder of Oral Florist. She is an assistant professor of English at the University of San Francisco. She was a finalist of the 2025 Pulizer Prize with Headshot.

There will be a signing session afterward. Her book (Dutch/English) will be available for purchase at the event.