El Hizjra Louwesweg 6G
1066 EC Amsterdam
Netherlands
- Heritage
- International/Cultural relations
El Hizjra is a Dutch, Amsterdam-based non-profit foundation advocating the rich Arab cultural heritage of (the children of) migrants in the Netherlands and its impact on society since 1987. El Hizjra’s core business deals with discovering, stimulating and supporting talented young and unknown writers with a bicultural background. The foundation is currently financially supported by the Dutch 'Letterenfonds'.
Since its inception, El Hizjra initiates and facilitates lectures and debates on contemporary Arab themes. After three decades, we can only conclude that this mission still appeals to current issues within the Netherlands, also with regard to the Arab world. El Hizjra is also known for (inter)national projects, master classes for aspiring writers and workshops for pupils of primary schools and high schools. The annual El Hizjra writing competition, initiated in 1992, has become an acclaimed stepping stone to a successful (inter)national career for talented Dutch writers with a bicultural background.
Since 2016, El Hizjra embeds the award ceremony of this writing competition within her ‘Night of Arabic Literature’ (Dutch: Nacht van de Arabische Literatuur): a festival celebrating literature, poetry, spoken word, storytelling, film and photography at De Nieuwe Liefde, a renowned venue in Amsterdam.