12 November 2004
Vondelkerk

British author Jeanette Winterson will be in Amsterdam to talk on her latest work Lighthousekeeping, to coincide with the release of its Dutch translation.

Where: Vondelkerk, Vondelstraat 120
Time: 8pm.
Tickets: €10 (€5 CJP/Students/+65)

Note that places are strictly limited to 175 (including members of the press).

Jeanette Winterson emerged onto the literary scene with the publication, in 1985, of her highly original, debut novel, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit (for which she garnered The Whitbread First Novel Award). She later adapted the work - imbued with her own strict working-class, evangelist upbringing - for the acclaimed BBC drama of the same name which aired in 1990.

A prolific and extraordinarily diverse writer (she has penned novels, short stories, non-fiction works, a children's book, television, radio and film scripts), Winterson is also a regular columnist for The Times and The Guardian, as well as contributing reviews and articles to several other newspapers and journals: just a few months ago she wrote an inspired article on astrology in Elle magazine.

Her bibliography reads like an exquisite wine menu: The Passion, Sexing The Cherry, Written on the Body, Art and Lies, Gut Symmetries, and Art Objects. To name but a few...

Her latest, Lighthousekeeping (2004), centres around the orphaned heroine Silver, taken in by a lighthousekeeper named Pew, whose stories of love and loss, passion and longing, are deftly woven into the narrative.

"Winterson has reverted to the accessible narrative of works such as The Passion. Lighthousekeeping is all the better for it."
Michele Roberts, Financial Times

"...brilliant, glittering piece of work that makes you gasp out loud at the sheer beauty of the language."
Independent

Following the talk Jeanette Winterson will take questions from the audience and sign books. Both English and Dutch copies of Lighthousekeeping will be available to buy...

The Venue
The Vondelkerk, on the edge of the Vondelpark has a stunningly beautiful interior as well as a rather fascinating history. Renowned Dutch architecht, PJH Cuypers, (responsible for Centraal Station and the Rijksmuseum) started building this 'new Catholic church' in 1872. However, work ground to a halt a year later owing to a lack of funds. Money was then donated by a series of prominent people, including Queen Sophie, Cuypers' French tutor Viollet-le-Duc and even the Pope! Construction was finished in 1890 but two years later, cracks were discovered in the vaults and the tower was destroyed by fire in 1904 (later rebuilt to a design by Cuypers' son Joseph). By 1978, the church had fallen into such a bad state of repair that it had to be closed and although a 'protected monument' was threatened with demolition. However, it was saved by Stadsherstel Amsterdam NV, who restored it to its former glory, and it now has office spaces and functions as a cultural center.

Transport
The Vondelkerk is located near the Filmmuseum and can be reached by tram: 1, 3, 6, 12.

This event has been organised by BritLit (British Literature) in collaboration with Contact BV (Netherlands) and Waterstone's Booksellers (Amsterdam).

For more information and reservations see www.britlit.info

Further information on the author herself at: www.jeanettewinterson.com