Love is in the air at touring literary festival

This year’s theme is My Funny Valentine, based on a quote by Dutch author Piet Paaltjes from his collection Snikken en Grimlachjes: “Liefde doet iets met een mens. Ze maakt niet alleen blind, maar ook onhandig, lichtvoetig, melancholisch en bij momenten zelfs krankzinnig.” (Love does something to a person. It makes you not only blind, but also clumsy, fleet-footed, melancholy and at times even crazy.)

Gregory Frateur of Dez Mona, Roy Aernouts (aka Boy Roy) and guitarist Tom Pintens perform as Los Speedy Bobs (pictured), a band that was originally created to honour the legendary Flemish country singer Bobbejaan Schoepen. They sing folksy adaptations of Flemish and Dutch songs that aim to unite, entertain and teach us a little more about love.

Flemish authors will offer their own insights and passionate poetry during the event. Pedro Elias, who became famous for co-creating the television quiz phenomenon De slimste mens ter wereld (The Smartest Person in the World), will talk about his walking trips and novel Van den hond, while the new Antwerp city poet, Maarten Inghels, will read from his latest collection, Nieuwe rituelen (New Rituals).

Another Antwerp-based gem is Russian author Aleksandr Skorobogatov, whose 2015 novel, Portret van een onbekend meisje (Portrait of an Unknown Girl), was hailed as one of the best books of the year. He’ll be going head-to-head with Lize Spit, whose debut novel, Het smelt (The Melt), is already being touted as one of the must-reads of 2016.

These local favourites are accompanied by several Dutch authors, such as singer, poet and novelist Stella Bergsma, who’ll be reading from her latest, Pussy Album. Turning the temperature even higher is Merijn de Boer, whose new book ’t Jagthuys is beautiful, funny and filled with smouldering sex scenes.

Also appearing are Marieke Rijneveld, currently the Netherlands’ literary It girl, and Jamal Ouariachi, author of Een honger (A Hunger).

Saint-Amour, 12-27 February, across Flanders