Last May, the book Het vervlechten van hoop (Interweaving Hope) was published. In it, Indigenous Surinamese talk about their culture and history. The KB initiated this book and is including it in its collection. It does this out of a desire to increase the polyphony of its collection.
In the book, the authors share their insights on Indigenous identity, history, culture, nature and future. This results in a layered story that demonstrates how traditions, knowledge and visions of the future are linked. You also notice the strong relationship with nature and the power of oral traditions. The book has thus become a reflection of a living, resilient culture.
A KB initiative
The publication is an initiative of the KB. The KB is aware that its collection has gaps. Working towards a polyphonic national library collection is therefore one of the focal points of its collection plan. This publication is a start in including the Indigenous Surinamese story in the KB collection. The book came about partly thanks to funding from the Friends of the KB.
Which authors contributed?
The book features contributions from:
- Tamuchi nerepo moseman Imicho / drs. ing. A.R. An artist who has spent over a decade chronicling the history of one of Suriname's tribal societies, which lived in isolation until 1950.
- Diana Vlet, founder and president of Stichting Herdenking Slavernijverleden - Global Indigenous (SHS-GI).
- Agir Axwijk, Surinamese historian who obtained his master's degree in Global History and International Relations from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
- Martha Sabajo, president of Stichting Wasjikwa.
- Kevin Headley, Surinamese documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcaster and writer.
- Dwayne Toemere, theatre maker, actor and researcher.
- Amberley Bernabela/ Yu ku Rimye, artist, writer and community builder.
- Isabelle Best, curator of Surinamica at the Allard Pierson Museum.
- Sjoerd Ramackers, historian.
Order the book
There was a celebratory presentation of the book on 7 May 2026. Interested in obtaining a copy of the book? Order it via our webshop.
