About the Festival

ALF 2005

The first edition of the international Amsterdam Literary Festival (ALF) was a small yet defining affair, held in the heart of the historic centre over the weekend of 18-21 May. Guests included Independent on Sunday columnist Rohan Candappa, author of The Curious Incident of the WMD in Iraq; BBC Radio 4 presenter and columnist for The Times, Libby Purves; prolific Hodder & Stoughton author Sarah Harrison; and a new talent in fiction from London, Valerie Mason-John, who gave a marvellous introduction to her acclaimed debut novel, Borrowed Body.

Visitors to the festival not only enjoyed a range of author talks and book-signings but also workshops on subjects ranging from slam poetry and journalistic reporting to plot development and how to write a blockbuster. There were also a number of fun events such as a high-tea salon, literary walking tour-cum-workshop and the infamous Books, Boats & Booze Cruise...

ALF 2006 »