Saturday, May 9, 4:00 PM: The Infinite Walk. A novel presentation with dancing, interactive theatre, and more!

Did you know that one of Colette’s neighbours is an international author? He moved to the Hague last year, went for a walk to clear his head from writing, and bumped into our bookstore. On Saturday 9 May, Juan is bringing us his latest book, a coming-of-age tango novel. It’s the story of young physicist Darío, who moves to Edinburgh for his Ph.D. Alone in a cold and unknown land, he discovers Argentine tango as a way to socialise and even find love.

But tango is a hard dance to learn, and it’s just as easy to make friends as it is to make enemies. Darío will navigate crowded dance floors and intimacy challenges, searching for inspiration and connection, trying to remain emotionally stable while falling in love five times a night.

You can watch a book trailer here, just as if it were a film!

For the presentation, our very own Simone will be interviewing Juan in our beautiful garden. But there will also be dancing and theatre with audience participation. You’ve never seen a book presentation like this! And to top it all off, you can get your copy of The Infinite Walk at a special price and signed by Juan.

Saturday 13^th September16:00 uur: ‘Architecture and Memory, Duinoord & Zorgvliet’, presentation by Javier Lizarzaburu (in English).

Have you ever strolled through our neighbourhood Duinoord and paid special attention to the architecture of the buildings? Do you ever wonder about the history of this area of The Hague? What do the buildings tell us about history?

Javier Lizarzaburu, heritage and communications specialist, originally from Peru and currently living in The Hague, has been studying the history of Duinoord and the adjoining neighbourhood Zorgvliet thoroughly, and will share with us the stories that the buildings tell us.

He invites you to look at these two neighbourhoods through a new lens. Built in the fascinating years of great changes at the beginning of the 20^st century, their architecture reveals the tensions of the era and deep layers of history, reflecting major Dutch and European developments between the 1870s and 1920s: the rise of the nation-state, the influence of colonial wealth, the optimism of technological progress and the beginnings of modern urban planning. From stately neo-Renaissance façades to carefully designed villa parks, these streets capture shifting ideals of identity, ambition and power. Join us to discover how much history is built into the bricks around us.

Javier Lizarzaburu is a heritage and communications specialist and a former BBC editor. He holds an MA in Heritage and Urban Planning from VU Amsterdam and lives locally. His work explores how cities express identity and power through architecture and public space.