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About The Days of the Locust
A farming family is confronted with the sudden mental breakdown of mother Leie when she returns from her foster mother's funeral. Through the eyes of her husband Dirk and her two sons, Anton (15) and Meeus (11), we see the family struggling with this crisis, along with their efforts to understand and help Leie. The narrative reaches a climax when Leie leaves the house dressed in her old wedding gown, taking nothing with her but an empty suitcase.
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Nominations, prizes and stipend
The Days of the Locust won the Bronzen Uil jury and readers' prizes, a Dutch-Flemish award for the best literary debut, as well as the CLO-Byblos prize for the best literary work in which religion plays a meaningful role. In addition, the book was shortlisted in 2020 for the Dutch booksellers' prize, and was on the longlist for the Hebban readers' award. The success of The Days of the Locust prompted the Dutch Foundation for Literature to award Siegmann a grant to write a second novel.
Bio
Machteld Siegmann (1972), a Dutch language and culture specialist, works as an editor and copywriter. She lives near Amsterdam with her husband and three children. In 2019, Ambo Anthos published her debut novel, De kaalvreter (The Days of the Locust), a mosaic novel about war, family origins, and memories. While writing the book, Siegmann was deeply inspired by the rural surroundings that provided the backdrop to her childhood.
Review quotes
"I recently translated a sample of Machteld Siegmann’s debut novel, The Days of the Locust, and loved it! Spare, haunting prose.' - Eileen Stevens, translator
‘Hypnotising prose. Intimate, compact, glorious. What a beautiful debut.’ – Remco Houtepen, Libris Venstra bookshop
‘An unlikely strong debut.’ – De Limburger
'The Days of the Locust is an original, convincing and beautifully written story about origin and memories. The characters draw you into the story. Anyone who starts reading is sold.' – Franca Treur, author
'Fragile and pure, sincere and vulnerable, as Siegmann continues to write, we can expect many beautiful things.' – Nederlands Dagblad
'This is one of those books for which we became booksellers. We are speechless. – Laren bookstore
'A book that got me from the first sentence, all the way through to the last. A mosaic novel written down with a beautiful tranquil pen and full of warmth and compassion for the characters. With beautiful comparisons, metaphors and food for thought about faith, love, family ties, depression and war trauma. I also like the very role of nature, the animal kingdom and the peasant life. The Days of the Locust gets under your skin and does not leave you untouched! And that for a debut novel...' – Stefanie Schulte, bookstore Het Leesteken, Purmerend
‘Hypnotising prose. Intimate, compact, glorious. What a beautiful debut.’ – Remco Houtepen, Libris Venstra bookshop
‘An unlikely strong debut.’ – De Limburger
'The Days of the Locust is an original, convincing and beautifully written story about origin and memories. The characters draw you into the story. Anyone who starts reading is sold.' – Franca Treur, author
'Fragile and pure, sincere and vulnerable, as Siegmann continues to write, we can expect many beautiful things.' – Nederlands Dagblad
'This is one of those books for which we became booksellers. We are speechless. – Laren bookstore
'A book that got me from the first sentence, all the way through to the last. A mosaic novel written down with a beautiful tranquil pen and full of warmth and compassion for the characters. With beautiful comparisons, metaphors and food for thought about faith, love, family ties, depression and war trauma. I also like the very role of nature, the animal kingdom and the peasant life. The Days of the Locust gets under your skin and does not leave you untouched! And that for a debut novel...' – Stefanie Schulte, bookstore Het Leesteken, Purmerend
Contact
For information on translation rights of De kaalvreter, please contact:
Orli Naamani
+31 (0) 20 524 54 27
onaamani@amboanthos.nl
If you would like to write to Machteld Siegmann, please fill out this form.
Orli Naamani
+31 (0) 20 524 54 27
onaamani@amboanthos.nl
If you would like to write to Machteld Siegmann, please fill out this form.