writing away from home

On Wednesday 26 May 2010, the American novelist Richard Powers was in Brussels for the launch of Writing Away from Home, the first English-language book published by the literary organisation Het beschrijf.

This unique and illustrated book comprises a selection of twenty-one pieces written by foreign authors on the basis of their stay in Brussels or Flanders. They reveal a little of the authors' inner world and reflect on writing far from home, isolation, and the excitement of the new.
The book opens with Richard Powers' text "Among the Missing".

Does it matter where one writes? What does ‘home' mean? The authors wrote about their stay, their view of Brussels and Belgium. This book assembles some of the finest pieces that have been written so far, arranged loosely into six themes: Travellers, Scanning the City, Traces, Belgium, Microcosm and Subterfuges.

With texts by Petr Borokovec (CZE), Alan Cherchesov (RUS), Jonathan Coe (UK), Sylvie Durbec (FRA), Monika Fagerholm (FIN), Patrick French (UK), Janice Galloway (UK), Eva Gerlach (NLD), Nedim Gürsel (TUR), Alan Hollinghurst (UK), Lucas Hüsgen (NLD), Chantal Maillard (ESP), Lydia Mischkulnig (AUT), Alan Pauls (ARG), Richard Powers (USA), Olivier Rolin (FRA), Julian Rubinstein (USA), Jan Sonnergaard (DNK), Su Tong (CHN), Tod Wodicka (USA) and Philippa Yaa de Villiers (RSA).

€ 13,50, 148 pages paperback 
Illustrated by Belgian photographer Alexandra Cool.
Available at the best bookshops in Brussels, in Passa Porta Bookshop or by ordering at info@beschrijf.be ,(€ 15 incl. shipping costs).
ISBN 978 94 9091800 2