Writers Festival of Belgium - the conversations

Listen in as we talk politics, Brussels, EU dynamics, accountability, and how Sophie in ‘t Veld sees the future of European politics in years to come. 30+ years in politics and in the European Parliament, makes for an energising & passionate perspective from Sophie. Let us know what you think of this episode and, of course, keep writing.

g.

In this podcast Writers Festival of Belgium’s Alia Papageorgiou talks to Dave Keating a long time journalist in Brussels, usually covering EU US relations as a newscaster, he talks through how his levels of anger and passion towards the new status quo between the two continents birthed his book ‘The Owned Continent, How to free Europe from American military, economic, and cultural dependence. Enjoy

An interview with Le Soir, Belgium's journalist Daniel Couvreur on his latest bande desinnee 'Le Faux Soir'

Alice Austen has so many accomplishments, in law, in state building, in playwriting and now with her first novel takes us by the hand and leads us straight into

Brugmann Place in Ixelles, increasingly under Nazi German occupation beginning in 1939. The lives of each of the tenants at number 33 Brugmann share their fears and tense surroundings as world war two increasingly becomes reality and its impact is inescapable. I interviewed Alice for this podcast and also for an interview in The Brussels Times which was printed earlier in 2025.

Please enjoy the article and also the conversation Alice Austen was just such a delight to talk to, I could have spent hours doing so. Her book is highly recommended by the writers festival, and we do hope that one day we’ll have her join is in Brussels, or elsewhere in Belgium seeing as the stage for the story is Ixelles. Enjoy discovering the Brussels of the past.

Alia Papageorgiou

See more and read more about Alexandra Huddleston’s work on her website Vertigo - Artist Book — Alexandra Huddleston

More about Eleonora Balsano on her website Author | Eleonora Balsano you can read some of her published works there. See more about the The European Writers Salon as well.

A conversation with Helena Buckinx on her book 'Travellers In Transit' one of the authors at the Writers Festival of Belgium 2024 which took place at the Irish College of Leuven writefest.be. We do a shoutout to bookhelpline.co.uk and scribis.be which self publish books in Belgium.