91st Book Week 2026: My generation

From boomer to zoomer and everything in between: every generation stands on the shoulders of the previous one. The perfect place to push off. Because *your* generation decides for itself what makes a book good and which language touches you. That interplay constantly breathes new life into literature. That is why the theme of the 91st Book Week is: My Generation. Will you be attending the signing sessions and/or interviews with Hendrik Groen / Peter de Smet (Book Week Gift) and Doortje Smithuijsen (Theme Edition)? Book Week will be held from March 11 to 22, 2026.

Book Week Gift 2026: Piaggio

The gift for the 91st Book Week is written by Hendrik Groen! The bestselling author of the popular Hendrik Groen diaries remained anonymous to his general public for more than 15 years. Hendrik Groen is a pseudonym for Peter de Smet, and especially for Book Week, he is stepping out of anonymity for the first time.

Peter previously wrote three diaries: 'Pogingen iets van het leven te maken', 'Zolang er leven is', and 'Opgewekt naar de eindstreep'. The translation rights were sold to no fewer than 36 countries, and the first two volumes both won the NS Public Prize and have been adapted for television and theater. The diaries were followed by several successful novels, including 'Rust en Vreugd', 'Groeten uit Benidorm', and 'Meneer Putmans ziet het licht'. More than a million copies of his books have been sold.

Book lovers will receive the Book Week gift Piaggio from bookstores from March 11 to 22 with a purchase of €17,50 or more of Dutch-language books. Peter de Smet's Piaggio is also being published in Frisian as the national Book Week gift. The Frisian translation was made by Ytsje Steen-Buwalda. Peter de Smet on the publication of the Book Week gift in Frisian: 'Piaggio in Frisian! Hindrik Grien is as proud as a peacock!' In 2018, a Frisian translation of the national Book Week gift was produced for the first time, and due to its successful reception, this became an annual tradition. The translation of 'Piaggio' by Hendrik Groen is thus already the ninth Frisian translation of the Book Week gift. Naturally, it is available in Frisian bookstores.

In Piaggio, life is not exactly smiling on Anton (61): wife gone, job lost, and a meddling father breathing down his neck. Marieke (58) could also use some luck, as she is struggling with love and a difficult daughter. When they meet for the first time at a party, chance and a few drinks help them along the way. Literally and in life.

 

Book and TV: The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen

Hendrik Groen (Kees Hulst) lives in a care home where everything runs like clockwork. There is little freedom, a strict director, Stelwagen (Rosa Reuten), and many nagging elderly residents. Together with his friend Evert (André van Duin), he hatches the first plans to do fun things and head into the city with a group of other residents of the care home, much to the displeasure of the management and nursing staff, who try their best to stop them.

 

Book and TV: Peace and Joy

'Rust en Vreugd' is a Dutch comedic drama series that has been broadcast by Omroep MAX on NPO 1 since March 2026. The series was directed by Tim Oliehoek and is based on the 2021 book of the same name by Hendrik Groen.

The series follows city dweller Emma, ​​who discovers after the unexpected death of her husband Thomas that, after a waiting list spanning years, he has finally been allocated a garden at the 'Rust en Vreugd' allotment complex. Despite hating gardening, Emma decides to accept the garden anyway to keep her deceased husband close to her for a little while longer and to fulfill his dream. Once there, Emma discovers that the allotment complex offers anything but peace and is instead a place full of rules, gossip, and rivalry.

 

Theme issue (formerly essay) 2026: I could be your daughter

Doortje Smithuijsen wrote the theme edition for the 91st Book Week. Doortje (1992) is a philosopher and journalist. She produces the podcast VSR and writes regularly for de Volkskrant. She previously published the bestseller 'Capitalism is Sexism', among others. For the NPO, she produced the documentary 'My Daughter the Vlogger', among others.

The themed edition 'I Could Be Your Daughter' will be available in bookstores from March 11, 2026, for €5,25. The essay is not about all babyboomers, not about all either millennialsIt is about a large group of wealthy Dutch people competing with each other because of their different forms of wealth. It is about intergenerational jealousy between two generations that both, in their own way, excel in unbearability.

Baby boomers refers to the generation born during the 'baby boom' after the Second World War. This group is often characterized by their large size and the economic prosperity in which they grew up. Birth years: Although definitions vary slightly, the period between 1946 and 1964 is usually used. In the Netherlands, the shorter period of 1940–1955 (the 'protest generation') is sometimes also specifically mentioned.

Characteristics:

• Prosperity: They grew up in a time of strong economic growth and improved social services.
• Idealism: The generation is known for its role in social change, civil rights movements, and the hippie culture.
• Work ethic: In the workplace, they are often seen as loyal, sensitive to hierarchy, and focused on personal growth and status.

Current status: In 2026, baby boomers are between 61 and 80 years old. Most are now retired or in the final phase of their careers.

MillennialsOften referred to as Generation Y, they were born between approximately 1981 and 1996 (some sources use 1980-2000) and are known as the first generation to grow up with the internet and digital technology. They are idealistic, highly educated, place great value on work-life balance and a sense of purpose, and are often seeking personal growth.

 

Free entry to 229 museums with the Book Week gift

Take the Book Week gift Piaggio with your entire family, friends, or alone on Sunday, March 22, 2026. You can choose from 229 museums to visit for free. You can visit multiple museums on March 22. So, if there are museums within walking distance of each other, for example in Leiden or The Hague, you will benefit the most. If the other person does not have a Piaggio but does have a Museum Card or a VriendenLoterij VIP Card, they can also visit the museum for free. Do remember to check any time slots.

 

Source: Book Week.

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

Book Week 2026: https://www.hebban.nl/boekenweek

Free 229 museum visit on March 22, 2026: https://www.museum.nl/nl/boekenweek

Hendrik Groen: https://www.meulenhoff.nl/auteur/hendrik-groen

Doortje Smithuijsen: https://www.doortjesmithuijsen.nl/

Previous Book Week blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/boekenweek/

Previous museum blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/made-in-holland/