Dutch author Thomas Verbogt displays a fine ear for dialogue in his work and small, everyday events often play an important role as one can hear in his Radio Books story. It’s a gentle tale of life, death and friendship.

Thomas Verbogt - 'Whisperers'

Thomas Verbogt was born in Nijmegen in 1952. He studied Dutch at Catholic University Nijmegen. Aside from stories and novels, he has written extensively for the theatre. He co-wrote the scenario for the Dutch film ‘Blind’ and has contributed material for cabaret performers such as Nilgin Yerli (another Radio Books author.) He is also a regular newspaper and radio columnist.

Verbogt’s first novel ‘De Feestavond’ (The Gala Night) was published in 1981, He has since written sixteen novels and short story collections as well as two books about pop music. His latest novel ‘Verdwenen tijd’ (Vanished Time) is a melancholy story about a man who – after the death of his father – begins to question how well he really knows himself.

Intimate whispers

Verbogt often uses autobiographical elements in his work. His contribution for Radio Books has this very personal sensibility. During visits to a very sick friend, a man reflects on animal whisperers, baby whisperers and the intimate whispers exchanged between friends – past and present.

“When I was young I had a teddy bear and when I myself was learning to talk I made him talk too, but in a language which deviated from mine. I had him say the word honey in every sentence, as  I had seen in pictures that bears liked this, and as I had decided that my bear was an English bear, he also said yes very often, because that was the only English word I knew. No, not the only one. I also knew that no meant no, but my bear didn’t say no, just yes and always twice in a row, yes, yes. He was what we would now call a ‘positive bear’. The bear and I had long conversations and later I understood that I was talking to myself. I was a boy who wanted to say yes, yes, very often.”

‘Whisperers’ by Thomas Verbogt was translated by Michael O’Loughlin. The story is read by David Swatling.

The series Radio Books is an initiative of the Flemish-Dutch Huis de Buren in Brussels, in association with the Flemish radio broadcaster Klara and Radio Netherlands Worldwide.