Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

If there is one leitmotiv to be found in my body of work, it is my desire to look ‘behind’ the myths. In my days of journalism I once wrote a story about Bernhard’s London years and I already noticed back then the large gap between his public image – the good and bad parts – and the often much more prosaic reality behind it. I also like the historical aspect of this particular life: Bernhard is linked to world history in so many ways that by telling his story one can tell the story of a whole century. He is irrefutably one of the most colourful figures of the last century and for that reason alone he deserves a serious biography.

And finally, there is a more personal reason. So far my main characters have always been women, and I am curious to find out whether I can write a convincing book about a man. And Bernhard is of course, at least at first sight, one of the most ‘manlike’ men imaginable.

 

The book will be written in the same style as the one about Annie M.G. Schmidt, a biography based on Anglo-Saxon fundamentals with a strong emphasis on the storytelling aspect, simply because I prefer this style for a biography. Like Anna, the underlying psychological question will be: What makes Sammy run? What were the main character’s motives, what shaped him as a person and as a historical figure, and out of which character structure and general view on the world did he make his decisions?

 

To be honest, I never really like this question. Bernhard has always been – not in the least by his own doing - put in an atmosphere of revelations and excitement. He was a restless man, with an extremely cluttered life. My ambition is to distil a solid, organized, and coherent story from this jumble of stories, myths, and rumours. Therefore I am not looking for revelations in themselves, but more particularly for a new image that can explain him and put him in a historical perspective.

 

So far, the RVD have treated me very well and have been very cooperative, but the lengths they will – and most of all can – go to in the long run, is something that will have to show as the project progresses. Cooperating with the family as closely as I used to with my other books is clearly not possible, and I do miss that. However, this is compensated by all the help and cooperation I am receiving through other canals. Ever since it became known that I am working on this subject, I have been approached from all directions by people who want to tell me their stories and give tips. One person’s uncle used to go hunting with him, another person’s cousin used to work in his staff; others still remember him from the war or one of the many social organizations he used to be involved in. This makes me very happy. Not just because of the – often valuable – information I’m getting, but it also gives me a sense of being supported: it seems as if the whole country feels that it is time for a well-balanced book about Bernhard, and puts its trust in me to write it.

 

The challenge of this project is mainly the subject itself: will I succeed in putting this life, this man, into a book, in a convincing as well as readable way? After that I would like to experiment a little in form and style again – do something small, for myself, in the same way as Sonny Boy was meant at the time.