Fedde Schurer Lecture 2024: The Frisians and their stories

On Saturday 16 November, the Fedde Schurerlêzing, organised by the Ried fan de Fryske Beweging in cooperation with Tresoar, Fryske Akademy and the Leeuwarder Courant, will be held in Tresoar for the fifteenth time. Flip van Doorn and Sietske Poepjes will both speak on the theme The Frisians and their stories: the eternal paradox. Piter Wilkens will provide the musical intermezzo.

The programme starts at 14:30 (walk-in from 14:00) and lasts until 15:30. Afterwards, you are welcome to join fro drinks and bites until 16:45. Admission is free, but registration is required and via this registration form.

The Frisians and their stories: the eternal paradox

In his life and in his work, Fedde Schurer did not shy away from paradox. Indeed, this poetic politician, activist pacifist and intellectual of humble origins united quite a few extremes within himself. The latter he has in common with Friesland, the province where he was born and for which he went to the barricades. This makes one curious as to how Fedde Schurer would have looked at today's Frisians and the challenges they face.

Flip van Doorn (Zeist, 1967) is a writer and journalist. He finds material for his stories at the intersection of travel, culture and history. In his successful book De Friezen (The Frisians), he makes the connection between the present-day province of Fryslân, where he lives, the stories of his Frisian grandfather and the history of his heitelân. Flip van Doorn argues that Fedde Schurer was a man of extremes. He united opposites within himself. He was and-and. Our times seem to demand just the opposite from us. Positions and identities are black and white. You are either totally for it or totally against it. Especially in debates around conflicts in the Middle East, gender identity or the environment, no middle ground seems possible. How does this imposed straitjacket of thought relate to Frisian identity? Do Frisians allow themselves to be dragged into fickle snowflake behaviour or do Frisians take a different turn?

Sietske Poepjes (Harlingen, 1979), a lawyer and CDA politician, has been mayor of Olst-Wijhe in Overijssel since February 2024. From 2011 to 2023, she was deputy in Fryslân, whose mandate included infrastructure, culture and Frisian language. She is author of the non-fiction book  ‘Eigenheid - Het belang van regionale culturen’.

Piter Wilkens (Leeuwarden, 1959) is one of the pioneers of Frisian-language music. He is a writer and singer of humorous and philosophical songs in very different styles. Piter has shared the stage with De Kast, Anneke Douma, Gé Reinders and the Noord Nederlands Orkest, among others. He also collaborated in theatre productions such as Tryater's It geheim fan ‘e Kânselier and theatrical show Salomon, the Kollumer Oproer.

About the Fedde Schurerlêzing

Fedde Schurer (1898-1968) was a Frisian poet and journalist. He also served in the Lower House for the Dutch Labour Party. For many years, Schurer was chief editor of the Frisian Courier; his stylistically brilliant and sharp articles were well-known in and outside Fryslân. Since 2010, in cooperation with Tresoar, Fryske Akademy and Leeuwarder Courant, the Ried fan de Fryske Beweging has organised an annual grand lecture in memory of Fedde Schurer.