Almost 150 entries for Book Week gift 2025

The CPNB book association has received 149 manuscripts that could become the 2025 Book Week gift. In honor of Book Week's 90th anniversary, the organization will not select an author for this one occasion; instead, a special jury led by presenter Rik van de Westelaken will select the Book Week gift from the entries.

Van de Westelaken says he is overwhelmed by the enormous number of manuscripts submitted. "The fact that so many writers hope to have their name on the cover of the Book Week Gift proves how unique this Dutch tradition is. We are all already reading fanatically, and that is really enjoyable! There is definitely a fantastic Book Week Gift that will make all readers in the Netherlands go to the bookstore. But it will definitely not be an easy choice for us as a jury."

Authors could submit their work by August 31st. The winner will be announced on February 12, a month before Book Week, which will take place from March 12 to 23. This year, the Chabot family wrote the Book Week gift.

According to NOS, this is not the first time that the CPNB has chosen the gift for Book Week in this way. From the 1940s to the 1960s, the literary gift was selected through writing competitions, which is now becoming a tradition again in the Netherlands.