On Saturday evening, May 30th, a new edition of the Terschelling poetry evening "Dichter bij Zee" (Closer to the Sea) will take place in the Meslânzer Church. During this evening, poets from both the island and the mainland will read from their own work. The poets will share the stage with a guest poet: this year it is Kees ’t Hart. ’t Hart is a literary all-rounder. He writes novels, essays, plays, reviews, and poems that explore themes such as identity, relationships, and art. He has received several awards for his work. ’t Hart debuted as a poet in 1998 with the collection "Kinderen die leren lezen" (Children who learn to read), for which he won the Ida Gerhardt Prize. In 2008, he published "Ik nu weet alles weer" (I know everything now). His most recent collection is "Het Vogelkerkhof" (The Bird Cemetery) (2023), which he performed at the 41st Night of Poetry. The Vogelkerkhof contains, among other things, poems ’t Hart wrote for the ‘Poule des doods’ (Polyeon of Death), a poetry collective that writes and recites poems during the solitary funerals of people who died without close family or friends. ’t Hart’s affinity for the Wadden Islands is evident in his poem "Vincent op Ameland," but he is also very familiar with Terschelling. He lived in Leeuwarden for a long time, from where he regularly visited the island for long walks and bike rides. He also visited Oerol and even performed there—not as a poet, but with the Frank Zappa tribute band Uncle Meat. Now he is returning to Terschelling to read from his poetic oeuvre at the Meslânzer Church. Curious about Kees ’t Hart and the other poets? Come to Dichter Bij Zee (Closer to the Sea) at the Meslânzer Church on May 30th. Starts at 8:00 PM until 10:00 PM.