Stephan Sanders

About Stephan Sanders

Stephan Sanders attended the gymnasium in Oldenzaal and studied Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. In 1987, he graduated as a doctorandus in Political Science with a minor in Cultural Philosophy. Since 1985, he has been working as a freelance journalist and opinion maker for various publications, including ‘Elsevier’, ‘De Haagse Post’, ‘De Groene Amsterdammer’, and ‘Het NRC Handelsblad’.

From 1986 to 1991, he worked as an editor for De Groene Amsterdammer, under the chief editorship of Martin van Amerongen. He wrote many articles about multicultural society, the ‘clash of cultures’, the ‘Rushdie Affair’, literature, politics, philosophy, and sociology. Additionally, he also worked as a radio and television presenter for various broadcasters, including ‘Ophef en Vertier’ VARA, VPRO Buitenland, KRO with Theo Stokkink, NOS, IKON, and RVU. He presented several TV programs, including ‘TV 3’, ‘De Rechtbank’, and ‘Portretten van buitenlandse schrijvers’.

In 1991, Stephan Sanders left for a year to the United States as a ‘writer in residence’ in Minneapolis, at the invitation of the Literary Production Fund and the University of Minnesota. He gave lectures at various American universities and published a number of English-language stories in literary magazines there.

In 1992, after returning to the Netherlands, he became a regular columnist and essayist for the Volkskrant, again combined with radio and television work. He presented ‘Het Blauwe Licht’ (VPRO) and ‘Met het oog op Morgen’ (NOS). In 1994, he participated in the ‘IOWA writing program’ in Iowa City, USA, for a period of four months. Since 2001, Stephan Sanders has worked as a regular columnist and house essayist for ‘Vrij Nederland’, with monthly columns for other magazines and periodicals (including ‘Onze Wereld’, ‘MAN’, and ‘magazine U & UWV’).

In 1989, he published the first of seven books, in response to the so-called ‘Rushdie Affair’. ‘Mixed Experience, Mixed Feelings’, the Balie, Amsterdam. Following this first publication, he received the Charlotte Kohler stipendium as the most promising essayist of that year.

Other books by Stephan Sanders include:

• ‘Ai Jamaica, stories’ (1991)
• ‘Connie Francis or the Innocence of America’ (1992)
• ‘Buitenwacht’, essays, 1995
• ‘The Great Anger of M.’, novella, also translated into English.
• ‘Love is for Women.’ novel, (2001)
• ‘Inside Out, on politics, personae, and the personal’, (2005)
• Sun, Sea, War, travel stories, 2007
• with Arie Boomsma ‘The Man and His Body’ about inner and outer self, 2010
• With an Eye on Classical, columns about music, 2010

Currently, Sanders works as a columnist and essayist for various newspapers and magazines, as a radio presenter of the well-known evening program ‘Met het Oog op Morgen’, and as a guest speaker for various forums. He has also held several guest lectureships at Dutch universities, namely Guest Writer in Groningen, and Guest Lecturer in Image and Television Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (2002).

His latest audiobook ‘Met het oog op Klassiek’, which also includes two CDs, Sanders uses to give lectures for various professional groups, which he attempts to explain and characterize using classical music excerpts.

Additionally, he has written two stage monologues and a play:

• ‘My Big, Strong Friend’, the Balie, 1997 (various performances)
• ‘TUUR’, a monologue about boxer Regilio Tuur, Cosmic Theater Amsterdam, 2004.
• ‘Rusty’, youth theater, performed by Hal4/Lef in Rotterdam, and since then on tour throughout the country.