Rita Bullwinkel in conversation with Bregje Hofstede
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this programme is accessible to people with reduced mobility.
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Meet Rita Bullwinkel and her eight teenage daughters. In Headshot, the bold debut novel by the American writer, eight young women face each other in a boxing arena in Reno, Nevada. Bullwinkel, herself a former high-level athlete, dissects the physical and psychological toll of sport, while at the same time painting a powerful portrait of girls becoming women under intense pressure. She will be in conversation with Bregje Hofstede, who in her spare time engages in sports such as rugby and boxing and writes very aptly about physicality herself.
The Guardian
their own demons
Eight young women compete in a two-day boxing tournament in Reno, Nevada, each with their own reasons for participating. Artemis wants to step out of the shadow of her sisters while Andi is trying to rid herself of her past and her feelings of guilt. Others are simply trying to find their way in life. What connects them is their determination to win, even though each of them knows that in the end, only one person can win.
to win or to disappear
Headshot shows the harsh reality of the sport: you win or lose, there is no in-between. And yet, in her novel Bullwinkel attempts to transcend the physical combat. She interweaves her characters’ stories with their memories and dreams, offering a glimpse into their lives outside the ring. Each duel in the boxing tournament is just a moment in the much larger story of the girls’ lives. The ring is temporary; the experience remains.
passion without an audience
As a former high-level athlete, Bullwinkel knows how intense a childhood focused on sport can be. Headshot paints a nuanced picture of young women who give everything for a passion, for some even an obsession. Although the stands remain largely empty, the tournament is very important to each girl. In her first novel, Bullwinkel attempts to reflect on the experiences associated with high-level sport: perseverance, low self-esteem and the delicate line between dedication and obsession.
De Standaard
mcsweeney’s quarterly
Bullwinkel is ook hoofdredacteur van McSweeney’s Quarterly, het vernieuwende literaire tijdschrift dat in 1998 werd opgericht door Dave Eggers. McSweeney’s staat bekend om zijn vormexperimenten en visuele flair. In deze rol verkent Bullwinkel de grenzen van vertelvormen en helpt ze nieuwe stemmen een plek te geven, wat ook voelbaar is in haar eigen werk: eigenzinnig, gelaagd en steeds op zoek naar verrassende invalshoeken.
about the author
Rita Bullwinkel is the author of the short-story collection Belly Up, winner of the Believer Book Award and the prestigious Whiting Award. Her debut novel Headshot was longlisted for the Booker Prize. She is editor-in-chief of McSweeney’s Quarterly and teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco.
about the moderator
Bregje Hofstede (b. 1988) is a versatile and widely acclaimed writer and activist. She is active within XR and a co-founder of the feminist action group De Bovengrondse and Stichting Nationaal Heksenmonument. Hofstede made her debut in 2014 with the novel The Sky Over Paris, which was nominated for the Libris Prize, the Anton Wachter Prize and the Gouden Boekenuil, among others. Her second novel, Desire (2018), was shortlisted for the Libris Prize 2019. In 2023 she released Oersoep, a lyrical reading experience that at times reads like a trip more than a novel.
Foto's: Rita Bullwinkel © Jenna Garrett, Bregje Hofstede © Willemieke Kars
Coming soon at
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
More than ten years after Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has published her new novel Dream Count. During her one and only book presentation in Belgium, we delve into the power of her storytelling.
This program is a coproduction of Passa Porta and Bozar.