UITGEVERIJ MEULENHOFF
2022-2026
Hendrik Groen (pseudonym of Amsterdam-based author Peter de Smet) debuted in 2014 with Pogingen iets van het leven te maken: Het geheime dagboek van Hendrik Groen (The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen), a sharp and compassionate portrait of life in a retirement home in Amsterdam-Noord. The book became an instant bestseller and was followed by two sequels: Zolang er leven is and Opgewekt naar de eindstreep. The first two volumes both received the prestigious NS Publieksprijs (NS Public Award) and were adapted for television and theatre. Translation rights were sold to 36 countries, and more than one million copies of his books have been sold worldwide.
Following the diary series, Groen published several successful novels, including Rust en Vreugd, Groeten uit Benidorm, and Meneer Putmans ziet het licht.
In 2026, Groen wrote the Boekenweekgeschenk for the 91st edition of Dutch Book Week (March 11–22). For this special occasion he briefly stepped out of anonymity to present his new novella Piaggio, before returning to life out of the spotlight.
In collaboration with Meulenhoff Publishers, I designed three book covers for the Hendrik Groen series: Groeten uit Benidorm, Meneer Putmans ziet het licht and Piaggio.
Book cover artwork
Groeten uit Benidorm
Hendrik Groen
Sunny beaches, Dutch cafés, bitterballen, and karaoke: Hendrik Groen’s new novel takes you to the Costa Blanca. Sixties Theo and Cobie are still happy together after decades of marriage and enjoy the freedom of their retirement. Joop and Hannie, a couple who are friends of theirs, on the other hand, have little to offer each other but bickering and complaining. The daily grind is a burden to Joop and Hannie, but big changes are possibly even worse. Two weeks in the caravan in the Veluwe every year is the extent of their ambition.
Until, during their joint Christmas dinner, they once again complain at length about the Dutch weather, and the enthusiastic Cobie persuades them to spend the gray winter months together in Benidorm. The weather is always nice there, and if you rent out your house to expats, you can even earn some money. That last argument is the deciding factor: the two couples take the plunge.
Once on the Costa Blanca, Joop is surprised to find that he appreciates the local color: the sunny terraces, the Dutch cafés, and even the bingo and karaoke evenings. And, also good for breaking the routine, he meets nice new people. Cobie and Theo are also having a great time. Hannie, on the other hand, feels lonelier by the day. The tensions between Hannie and Joop slowly but surely increase. Until it doesn’t take much to cause their vacation in Benidorm to go completely off the rails.
Meneer Putmans ziet het licht
Hendrik Groen
Nominated for the NS Publieksprijs 2025
Bestselling author Hendrik Groen takes you on a journey to the northern lights.
Geurt Putmans (47) lives with his chronically ill mother in a neat four-room apartment in Beverwijk. They have each other and live a contented life. Calm and without surprises. Geurt has been working as an accountant at Beter Slapen Matrassen for twenty-five years, and not a single bill has ever been sent out that wasn’t accurate to the penny. To be honest, he likes numbers more than people. Numbers never do unexpected things.
But when his mother dies, the foundation of his harmonious existence crumbles. On her deathbed, he had to promise her that he would take good care of himself and make something of his life. By going on a nice trip, for example. And although adventure does not particularly appeal to him, he keeps his promise and books a twelve-day bus trip to see the northern lights, the natural phenomenon that has fascinated him for years.
When he boards the Den Oude Intratours bus at the Didam transfer point on a dark October morning three months later and looks around at his fellow travelers, he wonders what he has gotten himself into. But there is no turning back.
Piaggo
Hendrik Groen
Book Week Gift 2026
Piaggio is about two people who are down on their luck, but who unexpectedly meet at a party and literally and figuratively embark on a new path together.
The 91st Book Week, with the theme My Generation, takes place from Wednesday March 11, to Sunday March 22, 2026. The Book Week gift is a gift from the bookstore for purchases of €17.50 or more in books and is the admission ticket to the museum on the last Sunday of Book Week.
Peter de Smet poses after the announcement of the authors of the Book Week gift. © ANP