I am back in the Wassenaar library and have paid my 40 cents for returning two books late. Yesterday it rained heavily non-stop – it could have been Manchester, so I sorted through my books here in the caravan, and put a dozen or so in a bag for the recycling (Kringloop) shop.
Het volgende verhaal by Cees Nooteboom has been translated into many languages. I’ve read this novella several times over the years. This edition comes with a glowing introduction by David Mitchell. I savoured it this week one evening, finishing just before 1am.
When I was an adolescent in Holland I wanted to be Cees Nooteboom. It seemed marvellous to get paid to travel and write about it… Back at home in Manchester I’m sure to have written a poem on not being Cees Nooteboom…