Stefan Hertmans
The Ascent

“What I find most impressive in the book is its objective tone and its refusal to go down the easy road of portraying Verhulst as a two-dimensional monster. The actions which Hertmans describes are quite evil enough: he does not need to editorialise or to impress the reader with self-righteous condemnation. Instead he sticks to the facts and builds up a slow, scrupulous portrait of a man who is defined by his own weakness and inadequacy.”

Jonathan Coe, jury member