Tuesday13 January 2026

Book presentation Venster op thuis

Home: comforting, unsettling, different for everyone

Home is not a place. Home is an experience, an idea, a reality. A concept that is not necessarily about cosiness and comfort. It may be associated with pain and heartache. Home is different for every person. Home can be found in a smell or a greeting, in a language or a belief, in pure survival and bitter homesickness, or in something as simple as a gas flame or an army chest.

The book Venster op thuis: Gezelligheid ontleed (Window on home: Cosiness dissected, Dutch only), the traditional New Year’s publication of the Meertens Institute, brings together multiple perspectives on the meanings of ‘home’.

Historians, cultural scientists and linguists show when and why people feel at home. They also show that ideas about “home” can change significantly throughout history, both in the intimate sphere and in the political arena.

With contributions from researchers at the Meertens Institute, the Huygens Institute, NL-Lab and partners, and beautiful illustrations by Juliette Huygen.

Read more about the book here.

The book presentation will take place on Thursday 13 January 2026 at Perdu, Amsterdam. For more information and registration click here.