Babs Gons
Writer and performer
BABS' TIPS
1. Portray someone whose story you want, no, must tell. Let there be a tangible necessity.
2. Look for something unique, what makes that person who they are? What stands out, what is remarkable? Highlight that, bring it forward.
3. Use all your senses to bring your portrait to life.
Babs Gons is a writer, performer, host, and teacher. She performs her work at festivals, literary programs, in museums, debate centers, and libraries, and also contributes to radio broadcasts. Due to the societal engagement and urgency evident in her work, Gons is often invited to present her work during social initiatives or events such as the February Strike and the Commemoration of Slavery.
Gons made her debut in May 2021 with her poetry collection "Doe Het Toch Maar," nominated for the Herman de Coninck Prize and the Poetry Debut Prize. In the same year, she wrote the Boekenweek poem and won a Poetry Star for one of her poems. In 2021, a children's book authored by her was released: "Het Begint Met Een Droom" (Gottmer). In 2022, she was one of two winners of De Johnny, a lifetime achievement award for stage poetry. A selection of her columns for Het Parool was compiled in June 2022 under the title "Alles Wat Je Liefhebt Wordt Mooi," published by AtlasContact. She was the Free Writer for 2021/22 at the Vrije Universiteit and is a member of the Akademie van Kunsten. Gons is the Poet Laureate of the Netherlands from September 2023 to September 2025.
Portrait Babs Gons: Annaleen Louwes
English 
Dutch