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Ask the Author: Joyce Bergvelt

“My new Dutch novel, 'Wat wij nalaten' will appear sometime in April this year (2025). The title can be loosely translated as 'What we leave behind" and is inspired by true events. ” Joyce Bergvelt

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Dear Ms Bergvelt, I am VERY interested in the book you have recently written- something I found out about by chance... Does it have a version in Mandarin or English at all?! and, where could I get a copy here in the UK? Thank you and hope to hear from you soon. (I do not like Kindle versions... which is the only one i could see on Amazon.co.uk)
Joyce Bergvelt Hi UK,
Further to my e-mail I wrote to you a year ago, I'm very happy to tell you that the English edition of my book on the Dutch in Formosa will be published by Camphor Press in 2018. It's being edited as we speak! The title has yet to be determined. I'll try and keep you posted! It will be available in the UK.
Best regards!


Hello 'UK',
So far it has only been published in Dutch - it was released in October. However, I originally wrote it English, but discovered I had a better chance of getting it published in Holland with a translated version. So I translated it into Dutch. I really do hope that it will be published in English soon. It's there - ready to be edited...
The Dutch version has been well-received so far - it has had one very good review by one critic. Hoping for more. Of course I would be delighted if it were translated into Mandarin. I do speak the language, but it's not good enough to translate my book!
Best regards,
Joyce
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How do you get inspired to write?
Joyce Bergvelt By reading between the lines of articles, by really listening to people with stories to tell, digging around and following my instincts. To be honest, I also have quite a few ideas for books buzzing around in my head. I throw them all into a cauldron and watch which idea comes bubbling up the fastest...
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How do you deal with writer’s block?
Joyce Bergvelt Fortunately, I have never had to deal with it!
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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Joyce Bergvelt I lived in Taiwan with my parents back in the eighties. It was then that I learnt that the Dutch once colonized Taiwan. I had absolutely no idea of this. A few years later, when I was doing my Chinese Studies degree at Durham University, I wrote my dissertation on the subject. The story absolutely amazed me and it had all the ingredients for a historical novel: heaps of drama, the classical dilemmas, fascinating historical figures... There were some non-fiction titles that had appeared in Holland over the years, but never a novel. So I vowed that I would write a novel if ever given the time.
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What are you currently working on?
Joyce Bergvelt Nothing at the moment. Still enjoying the buzz surrounding the release of my first novel. My second book is 'finished,' the manuscript will be read by my publisher next month. Fingers crossed! Something very different from the first, although it could also be described as a historical novel.
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?
Joyce Bergvelt Read, read and read lots of quality books. Be very selective and learn from the masters. Go to writing courses, read blogs and articles on writing. Even if you've already followed several, there is always something new to learn. And if you know that what you've written is good (from feedback from others - and not just family and friends), don't ever give up.
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What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Joyce Bergvelt That people acknowledge your work. That they actually read it, and that they like it! And the fact that you've created something that will most probably outlive you: a legacy, in the smallest sense of the word.
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Joyce Bergvelt
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