Sanneke van Hassel (Rotterdam 1971) lives and works in Rotterdam. Her literary work is published by De Bezige Bij, Amsterdam. Her debut collection of short stories IJsregen (Ice Rain), published in 2005, was nominated for several literary awards. In 2006 she wrote about every day life in Sarajevo: Pieces of Sarajevo. In 2007 her second collection of short stories titled Witte veder (White Feater) came out. For this book she received the BNG Literary Award. In April 2010 she organised and curated Hotel Van Hassel, an international short story festival in Amsterdam. In 2010 her first novel was pubished: Nest, followed by a third collection of short stories: Ezels (Donkeys) in 2012. Together with Flemish writer Annelies Verbeke she compiled an anthology with short stories from all over the world: Naar de stad, To the City (2012). In 2014 her fourth short story collection came out: Hier blijf ik (Here I'll stay), with 45 stories inspired by photographs from young photographers from Rotterdam. August 2017 her second novel was published, Stille Grond (Silent Ground). Recently she published to highly acclaimed collections of short stories, Nederzettingen (Settlements) in 2019 and Milde klachten (Mild complaints) in 2024. Her latest collection is set during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Translations
Several stories of Sanneke van Hassels stories are translated in English, German, Bosnian, Serbian, Korean and in Croatian. If you are interested in reading them please send her an e-mail: schrijf@sannekevanhassel.nl
Litro, London, 2011
The short story 'Meg' by Sanneke van Hassel was published in the London based magazine Litro. Translation: Imogen Cohen.
https://www.litro.co.uk/2011/01/meg-by-sanneke-van-hassel/
Best European Fiction, 2012
A story by Sanneke van Hassel appears in the Best European Fiction 2012 (ed. by Aleksander Hemon). This series by Dalkey Archive Press each year features new voices from throughout Europe alongside more established names such as Hilary Mantel, Jean-Philippe Toussaint and Ingo Schulze.
Words without Borders, May 2014
For the digital international literary magazine Words without borders Sanneke van Hassel en Victor Schiferli selected Dutch and Flemish short prose and some novel fragment around the theme of taboos, or things that can't be mentioned. With work from: Esther Gerritsen, Elke Geurts, Thijs de Boer, Maartje Wortel, Arnon Grunberg, Annelies Verbeke, Yves Petry, Peter Terrin, Manon Uphoff, Ton Rozeman, Sanneke van Hassel, Anton Valens, Mensje van Keulen en Walter van den Berg. http://www.wordswithoutborders.org/issue/may-2014
Wär Mein Klavier doch ein Pferd, 2016
In March 2016 a story by Sanneke van Hassel was selected for an anthology of Dutch female writers, Wär Mein Klavier doch ein Pferd, Erzählungen aus den Niederlanden, selected by Doris Hermanns. The editor is Edition Fünf.
Amsterdam, Eine Stadt in Geschichten, 2016
The story 'Army Boots' ('Springerstiefel') was selected for an anthology with stories and poetry about Amsterdam that came out in May 2016.
https://www.dtv.de/buch/victor-schiferli-amsterdam-14499/
Die Horen, Bojen & Leuchtfeuer, Neue Texte aus Flandern und den Niederlanden, 2016
Three stories by Sanneke van Hassel were selected for the German literary magazine Die Horen. The issue was edited by Stefan Wieczorek who made a broad selection of contemporary Dutch literature.
The Penguin Book of Dutch Short Stories, 2016
The story 'Indian summer' by Sanneke van Hassel was selected for The Penguin Book of Dutch Short Stories. Edited by Joost Zwagerman. The Guardian praised the this collection. In Times Literary Supplement of December 2, 2016 Claire Lowdon praised 'Sanneke van Hassel's poised account of marital infidelity "Indian Time"' as one of the highlights.
Shelter, Stranger Press, 2020
Taken from the author's Dutch short story collection Nederzettingen, this trio of stories follows various individuals trying to build an existence, who need to feel at home somewhere. Each character is displaced in a different way but, wherever they come from, all the characters have a conflicting longing for change and stability. In crystal clear language, Van Hassel tells three tales about restless times in a fragmented society.
Three short stories address a number of important themes facing Dutch, and indeed European, society today; class, social mobility, multiculturalism, prejudice, loneliness, and urban sprawl, all in a prose style that is simultaneously atmospheric, topical, sympathetic, and frequently wonderfully descriptive. One story centres on the experiences of an immigrant from Cape Verde, while next stories have white, middle-class Dutch as their main characters, then a short finale follows the thoughts of a homeless man as he traverses the city. These voices collectively capture a snapshot of our contemporary moment; each voice yearns, wonders, and worries at the world and their own place within it. Order here: Stranger Press.