Novelist Manu Joseph will be giving a special master class for us on Sunday, 12 August from 17:00 – 18:30 at Boekhandel van Rossum, Beethovenstraat 32, 1077 JH Amsterdam. The class is aimed at writers but can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in literature. It will be conducted in English. Advanced registration is required.

Manu Joseph was born in Kerala, grew up in Chennai and currently lives in Delhi. His debut novel Serious Men (2010) won the PEN Open Book Award and the Hindu Literary Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Prize. The PEN jury described him as “…that rare bird who can wildly entertain the reader as forcefully as he moves them.” Since then, he has written two more novels, both well-received: The Illicit Happiness of Other People (2012) and Miss Laila, Armed & Dangerous (2017). He is in Amsterdam courtesy of the Dutch Foundation for Literature as their summer Writer in Residence.

We’ll be discussing novel writing in general and will also look at specific techniques in his latest book Miss Laila, Armed & Dangerous. There will be plenty of room for your questions.

We hope you can stay afterwards to get your book signed and mingle with other writers over wine and cheese in Boekhandel van Rossum’s lovely garden.

To get the most out of the class we recommend you read the novel in advance. You can purchase your copy at Boekhandel van Rossum or online from most major booksellers. All three of Joseph’s books have been translated into Dutch and published by Uitgeverij Podium.