Leesclub

Morgenland

Vragen aan de auteur

op 25 april 2016 door Morgenland

Een verrassing! Stephan Abarbanell gaat mogelijk vragen voor zijn Nederlandse leesclubdeelnemers beantwoorden! Heb jij een goede vraag, laat hem hieronder achter. De tien beste, leukste, meest bijzondere vragen worden op maandag 30 mei doorgestuurd.

Stel je vraag bij voorkeur in het Engels. Lukt dat niet, dan mag Nederlands natuurlijk ook, dat vertalen wij wel. Wanneer het precies lukt om de antwoorden te plaatsen, durf ik nog niet te garanderen, maar ze komen wel!

Reacties op: Vragen aan de auteur

55552

24 mei 2016

2016-05-24T17:43:35+02:00

Paul Wormsbecher

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/paulwormsbecher

115597

Hello Stephan, Congratulations with your debut-roman....I have a question for you: in how many ways is this book bases on your own family-story ...I had the feeling during reading that more then you let us know is based on your own background ? If so, who are the persons of your own Family....the brothers Lind or maybe Layla? I am very curious to know...thank you, Paul Wormsbecher.

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66696

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:33:11+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

Stephan Abarbanell: 'Dear Paul, In some ways, you are right, looking at he Lind Familiy before the War, I smuggeled some family history in the book. Although the main inspiration came from the Berlin-German-Scholem family. But the old Scholem/Lind Father is very close to my great grandfather: striving to be an accepted German and a good Jew, going the path of assimilation. My great grandfather married a protestant woman, felt almost fully integrated and died briefly before Hitler came to power. My Grandfather however and even my father lived through difficult times from 1933 on, constantly under pressure. So it became one of our familie-topics: were do we belong to? Can we trust the surrounding society? This became part of the book.'

55552

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55569

24 mei 2016

2016-05-24T18:14:18+02:00

Henri

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/image%281426%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/henri-gerard

118250

Dear Sir, Thank you for your great novel. A question that puzzles me: what is the reason that you wrote your first book at the age of sixty? Harry Hübbers

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66697

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:33:34+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'A rather famous colleague of mine once said: You are never to old to have a golden youth. I tried very often, even when I was young, and started novels. And never got to the end. At some point I said to myself, its part of the deal that you come to the end. You are a grown up now, get serious. And further: Our kids, three of them, had left home, there is much more time than ever before. So, fullfill you dream or be silent. And yet I was lucky to find a sujet, a story, which from the beginning on never gave me the chance to let loose again. So writing gave me a golden youth, even so it is a very tough process. Part of the deal.'

55569

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66709

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:50:25+02:00

Henri

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/henri-gerard

118250

Dear sir, dear Stephan, Thank you for your answer. So there is hope for me. A golden youth... I will welcome it! Best wishes. Harry

55569

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55693

25 mei 2016

2016-05-25T08:39:36+02:00

Angele Steentjes

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/angele-steentjes

198716

Dear mr. Arbanell, Just a curiosity question. Your novel was inspired by the life of the brothers Scholem. I saw on wikipedia. that Gershom Scholem lived in de Abarbanel st. 28, Jerusalem. That looks a lot like your name Abarnell. Is that a coincidence?

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66698

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:33:53+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'You are a very careful reader! Great. What you discovered is indeed just a coincidence. When I myself found out about it during my research, I smiled. And than visited the street during my stays in Jerusalem a couple of times. It´s a very nice street and some of it´s atmosphere I tried to put in the book. Jerusalem-Rehavia. It´s worth a visit.'

55693

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55737

25 mei 2016

2016-05-25T10:52:48+02:00

Sigried

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/sigried

192474

Dear sir, Was there a particular reason for you to use a female protagonist instead of a male?

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66699

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:34:05+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'I started writing the book with a male protagonist, a young man from far-away -New Zeeland, coming to Europe as a soldier during war time. Nice idea? Probably yes. We spent quite a lot of time together and I still know his (invented) background, his family very well. But somehow I always felt that the story wasn´t going to be authentic enough. Andy yet, there was this supporting characater in the story, a young woman named Lilya. As soon as I started to write sections about her, I felt something like a flow. A thing, a writer is desperatly waiting for! Then I almost started all over and put Lilya in the middle. With some hestitation. Will I be able to write the story from the perspective of a young, strong woman? For me there was no alternative but you as reader can still decide whether it worked our or …. Good question, thank you!'

55737

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55894

25 mei 2016

2016-05-25T18:25:41+02:00

Riet

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/riet-van-hal-klappers

116039

Dear Mr. Abarbanell, I found the description of the camps impressive. Have you ever visit a camp?

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66700

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:34:18+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'I did visit all of the places described in the book many times. When you visit Föhrenwald for instance (today it is called Waldram, outside the town of Wolfratshausen), you wouldn´t realize where you are. Or what this place has been. Although all of the houses – well renovated - are still there, it´s today a nice and neet somewhow middle class neighbourhood, you can only tell from old maps and descriptions where for instance the Hitler Platz, later Roosevelt Square have been. (Today it´s Kolping Platz.) But there are some very nice people there trying to put the history of the place back to memory. And it needed quite some research and imagination to describe this place and others how they were in 1946.'

55894

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56129

26 mei 2016

2016-05-26T13:50:20+02:00

Nynke

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/nynke

116737

Dear Mr Abarbanell, In my opinion the story outline is quite difficult. In what way did you structure the story during the writing process?

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66701

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:34:29+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'I can understand what you say. There is a lot in it, the Lilya Story, the Lind Story, the Whitehall Story, the suspense story. An a journey through – probably partly – unknown history. Yes, I did structure it after trying for some time to work without a story line. Gladfully I did. And yet, it is still complex and may appear demanding. Next book will be easier, more straight forward, I hope. No promise, but I will try.'

56129

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57238

30 mei 2016

2016-05-30T22:04:47+02:00

Jeannie Bertens

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/image%28387%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/Dikkertjedap

114977

Dear Mr Arbonell, I enjoyed your novel, can we expect another exciting story in the near future?

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66702

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:34:43+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/Profiel%20Debbie%205%20klein%282%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'I just started the process of writing a new novel. So, give me strength and courage. But hearing this question from you already is a big support!'

57238

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61094

13 juni 2016

2016-06-13T15:29:10+02:00

Henri

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/image%281426%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/henri-gerard

118250

Dear sir, I noticed you studied Theology. I did also. Does (your) faith play a part in your writing? Why so or why not? Harry Hübbers

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66703

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:34:57+02:00

Debbie op Hebban

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https://www.hebban.nl/!/debbie-van-der-zande

117082

SA: 'Dear Harry, Tough question! I must admit that I never reasoned about it. So there is no easy Yes or No. I still struggle with the question what religion, in my persoanl context Christianity, and Judaism or Islam, can provide, what answers they have looking at the world like it is. Are these Believe Systems part of the problem or part of a solution. You might end up that both will be true. And that in the end human beeings are the ones who translate the Question for God in a graceful or harmful way. MORGENLAND however is written as a worldly, somehow profane book. There are already problems enough to solve for Lilya and all of the others, and she does´t touch the question of God. But: almost all of the protagnists long for salvation. So that again is probably a more than hidden theological topos. And a basic human one as well.'

61094

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66711

29 juni 2016

2016-06-29T15:52:13+02:00

Henri

https://static.hebban.nl/files/images/thumb/image%281426%29.jpg

https://www.hebban.nl/!/henri-gerard

118250

Dear sir, dear Stephan, Amen! All the best, and many blessings. Harry

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Morgenland

Welkom bij de leesclub rond het boek Morgenland van Stephan Abarbanell (Uitgeverij A.W. Bruna).

We zijn op Facebook en Twitter te vinden op @hebbanleesclub, onze hashtag is #hebbanleesclub.

Deze leesclub is afgesloten met een gemiddelde waardering voor Morgenland van: ★★★½

De antwoorden op de lezersvragen worden nog terugverwacht.