Do you want to broaden your reading by discovering books from around the world? We’re kicking off our Read the World series with must read Dutch literature from the Netherlands!

Read Around The World challenges are popping up on a lot of platforms at the moment, and we love to see it! As a Dutch native and avid reader, I am personally doing a European challenge, because there are a lot of countries where I have never read a book from. Reading a book from every single country in the world felt a bit overwhelming, so I decided to tackle it continent by continent

If you want to join in on this challenge, we’re here to help you. In the upcoming months we will be sharing our best recommendations, and I’m kicking off as a Dutchie, with 10 essential works of must read Dutch literature translated into English.

Book Title	Author	Genre	Key Themes
Thistle	Nadia de Vries	Literary Fiction	Grief, body image, coming-of-age
Hard Copy	Fien Veldman	Literary Fiction / Satire	Workplace burnout, technology, loneliness
Mary, or The Birth of Frankenstein	Anne Eekhout	Historical Fiction	Dark academia, origins of horror, romance
The Philosopher, the Dog and the Wedding	Barbara Stok	Graphic Novel	Ancient philosophy, minimalism, feminism
Movies Showing Nowhere	Yorick Goldewijk	Middle Grade	Memory, loss, time travel
Lampie (Of Salt and Shore)	Annet Schaap	Middle Grade / Fairytale	Coastal adventure, friendship, misfits
Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City	Russell Shorto	History / Nonfiction	Cultural history, liberalism, freedom
Why the Dutch Are Different	Ben Coates	Travelogue / Culture	Dutch customs, history, personal journey
The Diary of a Young Girl	Anne Frank	Memoir / History	WWII history, resilience, coming-of-age

LITERARY FICTION

Thistle – Nadia de Vries

I love to read weird girl literature. I’m totally the Ottessa Moshfesh kind of girl who also loves Japanese books such as The Girl Who Turned Into A Pair of Chopsticks and The Hole. Thistle is beautifully written, covering themes like girlhood, sexuality and grief.

Hard Copy – Fien Veldman

This is one of my favourite Dutch books! If you liked Sayaka Murata and Halle Butler, this one is for you. This is a story about a customer service assistant who meets a printer (and talks to it) while spending her long workdays printing letters. Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams.

Mary, or The Birth of Frankenstein – Anne Eekhout

Looking for a historical fiction with some dark academia vibes? And did you love Frankenstein? Put Mary by Anne Eekhout on your list. It tells a fictional story about Mary’s early years, before she wrote the popular classic.

GRAPHIC NOVELS

The Philosopher, the Dog and the Wedding – Barbara Stok

I love this graphic novel by Barbara Stok, which is about Hipparchia, one of the first female philosophers. This book shows us that the insights from thousands of years ago are still relevant today.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Movies Showing Nowhere – Yorick Goldewijk

A middle grade book that won a lot of prizes in The Netherlands is Movies Showing Nowhere by Yorick Goldewijk. This book made me tear up several times and showed me a unique perspective on dealing with grief. It’s a stunning children’s book that you will want to recommend to everyone regardless of age.If you like books by Rebecca Stead, you will love Yorick Goldewijk.

Lampie (UK) or Of Salt And Shore (USA) – Annet Schaap

This middle-grade novel takes the dark elements of fairytales and crafts them into a powerful story of friendship and light. An absolute bestseller in the Netherlands, it is perfect if you like coastal settings, hopeful themes, and classic lore. I read this book a few years ago and I’m still thinking about it.

NONFICTION

Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City – Russell Shorto

Do you want to read more about the history of the Netherlands, and specifically its capital? Amsterdam: A History of the World’s Most Liberal City is the best overview available in English. Tourists know Amsterdam as a picturesque city of low-slung brick houses lining tidy canals; student travelers know it for its coffee shops; art lovers know it for Rembrandt’s glorious portraits. But the deeper history is all about freedom, liberalism, and social protest.

Why the Dutch are Different – Ben Coates

Coates, who is originally from England, moved to the Netherlands accidentally and never left. He writes candidly about his experiences with the Dutch—from their famous directness to their love for cheese. It is a fun, light, and quick read if you want to understand modern Dutch culture.

The Diary of Anne Frank – Anne Frank

A foundational work of must read Dutch literature, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank remains one of the most enduring documents of the 20th century. Anne was a young Jewish girl living in Amsterdam during the 1940s. When Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, Anne and her family hid in a secret annex in an attempt to escape persecution.

If you want to join in on this blog series and would like to recommend books from your own country, feel free to send us an email to jenny@bookinfluencers.com!