Dimitri Verhulst (b. 1972) made his debut in 1999 with the collection De kamer hiernaast (The Room Next Door). This was followed by Niets, niemand en redelijk stil (Nothing, No one and Reasonably Quiet, 2001) and De verveling van de keeper (The Boredom of the Goalkeeper, 2002). His novels Problemski Hotel (Problemski Hotel, 2003) and De helaasheid der dingen (The Alasness of Things, 2006) were very successful and have been translated into many different languages. In 2008 De helaasheid der dingen was made into a film, which was well received at various festivals and in different countries. Verhulst then wrote Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af (Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill, 2006), Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol (Goddamned Days on a Goddamned Sphere, 2008) and De laatste liefde van mijn moeder (My Mother’s Last Love, 2010). Verhulst also has a collection of poetry to his name: Liefde, tenzij anders vermeld (Love, Unless Otherwise Stated, 2001). The work of Verhulst was translated in African, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bulgarian, Chinese, Danish and German.