Michael Frijda (b. 1961) worked for years as a bargee on the inland waterways and on tour boats in the Amsterdam canals. 1998 witnessed the publication of his story collection
Schrikdieren (Feral Frights). A year later he received the Rabo-bank Lente Award for his story
Tekening (Drawing). The novel
Ritselingen (Rustling, 2005) was nominated for the Libris Literature Prize. At present he is working on a novel about his experiences on the tour boats.
