To the arctic ocean, with Frank Westerman and Iida Turpeinen
What’s the relation between a Dutch expert and a Finnish debutant? The icy waters and the animals that live or once lived there, and more importantly, what we can learn from those animals. In Zeven dieren bijten terug (Seven animals bite back), Frank Westerman takes us on an expedition in the footsteps of Willem Barentsz, although the real protagonists are the seven animals of the title. An eighth animal, which just missed the selection, is Steller’s sea cow, who is at the heart of a book by Finnish author Iida Turpeinen.
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seven animals
The narwhal, lemming, eel, brent goose, polar bear, reindeer and king crab are seven animals that explorer Willem Barentsz saw during his polar expeditions. Barentsz made three attempts to reach Asia via the Arctic Ocean but was prevented each time by harsh climatic conditions. Now that a lot of ice has melted, he would probably have succeeded. But as the ice melts, so does the habitat of these animals. Westerman shows us the amazing ingenuity of animals and warns us there is much at stake.
beasts of the sea
The debut novel by young Finnish author Iida Turpeinen was voted best debut in Finland and was nominated for the country’s two main literary prizes. It was also a sensation on the international translation rights market: the book will be published in no fewer than twenty-eight languages. Her novel tells the story of Georg Wilhelm Steller, a polar explorer who discovered a unique animal: Steller’s sea cow. Within thirty years, the giant animal had completely disappeared from the globe. This book briefly brings back to life what humans have destroyed forever.
human and animal
Nature does not belong to us. Humans are part of the (animal) world, and if we exploit and destroy it, we are digging our own grave. That is the ominous message delivered by Frank Westerman and Iida Turpeinen in two highly engrossing books. Journalist Marnix Verplancke talks to them.
about the authors
Frank Westerman (b. 1964) is a writer and journalist. He has written, among others, De graanrepubliek, Ingenieurs van de ziel, El Negro en ik (awarded the Gouden Uil Prize), and Een woord een woord (awarded the M.J. Brusse Prize and the Bob den Uyl Prize). His latest book, Zeven dieren bijten terug, appeared in 2024. Westerman’s work has been published in seventeen languages.
Iida Turpeinen (b. 1987) lives in Helsinki and studies the relationship between science and literature. Beasts of the Sea is her debut novel. It was awarded the Helsingin Sanomat Literature Prize.
about the moderator
Marnix Verplancke is a reviewer and journalist. He publishes regularly in De Morgen, Knack and Trouw on literature, philosophy and science. He has sat on the jury of various literary awards.
Organisation: Passa Porta
