It’s always a scary moment for every writer: that moment where your words, that you had been writing for a year in your living room, are being released to the outside world. With my Dutch book about Union Berlin, that moment was two weeks ago.
It already was a special day, as the official launch of my second Dutch book. And because lots of friends and family were in the audience. It became an even more special moment with the unexpected passing of our mother, three weeks prior to the event.
She would have loved it, all these strange people in football shirts, her son at the center of all the attention. The book itself, in which I interview around fifteen people from inside and outside the club and also share many personal experiences and memories, is an ode to her love of football as well. That passion for the game that is so important to many people’s lives and souls.
So yes, it was a great and unforgettable day, also thanks to the people behind Staantribune magazine (compare it to When Saturday Comes in England or 11 Freunde in Germany) who gave me free reign to write as I pleased. We are still looking for options to publish a German version, but those who can read Dutch can order the book online.
