During Music Meeting 2026, four concerts were opened by four young writers affiliated with Wintertuin, through poetry or spoken word. Read their texts below.
Sãdiqãh Salentijn opened the concert by Mádé Kuti (Afrobeat) at Music Meeting on May 22, 2026. Sãdiqãh Salentijn (2000), better known as Asomdwenyi—which means “peacemaker” in Twi—is a writer, poet, spoken-word artist, and program creator with a passion for multilingualism and oral storytelling traditions. She grew up in Amsterdam-West and Amsterdam-Southeast and found inspiration in the books from her father’s bookshelf and the works of authors such as Astrid Roemer, bell hooks, Toni Morrison, Ama Ata Aidoo, Caleb Nzumah Nelson, and Gabriel García Márquez. She is studying Creative Writing at ArtEZ, where she experiments with new forms of storytelling. Her work spans poetry, prose, and dreams of theater, documentaries, and her own publishing house that provides a platform for writers of color. In her literary program “Praat Met Me,” she, together with writer Janey Mooij, engages in conversation with writers of color about their writing and creative practices.
→ Read the poem by Sãdiqãh Salentijn
Writer and sociologist Maartje Franken ( 2000) opened the concert by Rhiannon Giddens (Americana, Folk, Blues, Cajun, Country) at Music Meeting on May 24, 2026. Maartje writes primarily prose, with a dystopian undertone, in which she explores alienating systems, people, and their relationships with one another and the world. She writes both adult and young adult literature. Her work has appeared in publications such as De Revisor,Deus Ex Machina, andKluger Hans, and she won a preliminary round of WriteNow!. Maartje is an editorial board member at Op Ruwe Planken and is participating in the Wintertuin development program.
→ Read the poem by Maartje Franken
Siham Amghar opened the concert by Mattias de Craene feat. Black Koyo (jazz, gnawa, spiritual) with a spoken-word performance at Music Meeting on May 25, 2026. Siham is a writer, creator of Confrontation Theater, workshop instructor, and coach.
→ Read Siham Amghar's spoken-word performance
Colombian artist and teacher Daniela Montoya Jerez ( 1995) opened the concert by Romperayo (cumbia) with a spoken-word performance at Music Meeting on May 25, 2026. In recent years, Daniela has found a new language for her writing in Dutch. She writes poetry and short stories and is an artist at Wintertuin.
→ Read Daniela Montoya Jerez’s spoken-word performance
