Rhythm along the canal: Weerdsingel, favourite spot of Annet Schaap

Prominent Utrechters talking about their favourite spot in the city. This month: writer and illustrator Annet Schaap talking about Weerdsingel.

So… Weerdsingel?

‘I live in the Nieuw Engeland neighbourhood, and have had a studio on Hooghiemstraplein for the past few years. Walking there in the morning, my route takes me along Weerdsingel. It’s a nice walk, past lovely houses, huge trees, water and boats. It’s at its most glorious in autumn. I secretly think about my work while I’m walking; it’s a combination of seeking inspiration and getting to my destination. Sometimes I listen to music. When I’m writing a book, I make a playlist with songs that are in some way connected with it – nice music or horrible music. While writing Lampje, for example, I listened to tango music by Astor Piazolla. Beautiful, but also desperately sad. Totally in keeping with Lampje. It evokes a sort of rhythm and a certain colour of emotions, melancholy, and longing. I’m listening to Berghain by Rosalía for the story I’m currently working on. It’s a beautiful, but horribly ugly song, which sometimes shakes me up, but helps with the writing process. There’s something about her music that gives me goose bumps.’

Last performance you attended?

I absolutely loved All the lonely people by Silbersee. It’s a kind of opera based on the Volkskrant series Eenzame Uitvaart (Lonely Funeral) by Joris van Casteren. This series recounts moving stories about people who for various reasons, are completely alone and die on their own. It’s my worst nightmare. Sadly, it happens more often than you’d imagine. The message I took from it was: look out for the people around you.’

Annet Schaap - photo: Juri Hiensch

Biggest frustration?

‘I’m sometimes shocked by the ever-increasing number of houses and people in Utrecht. I walk through the city centre every day and it’s so busy! I like things to be lively, but it can also be too much.’

Guilty pleasure

‘I was just moaning about all the new builds here, but you didn’t hear me complaining when Kinepolis opened near the Jaarbeurs. It’s great to have our own cinema within walking distance. I like to go at around five or six o’clock. Popcorn, blanket… They always give you a blanket, even if it’s warm outside. In summer, I could sit there all day. I love the large-scale blockbusters like Troy. The last film I saw was Backrooms, about a parallel world in which someone loses their way in an endless maze of empty offices, corridors, stairs and doors. Terrifying for someone who’s always getting lost (like me). Much scarier than films featuring monsters and blood.’

Inspirational Utrechter?

‘The Utrecht Kinderboekenwinkel is a fabulously inspiring children’s bookshop, where I spend a lot of time. Places like this are essential. Dorothé Cras, the shop’s owner, is a lovely woman who knows everything there is to know about children’s books, as do all the women who work there.’

Favourite meeting place?

‘I like to meet people in Het Gegeven Paard, a nice central spot where they sometimes have live music. I don’t really have a favourite restaurant, but I have a top take-away: Pizza Beppe on Vleutenseweg.’

Fondest memory?

‘When I had a studio on Vlampijpstraat, I used to walk along the canal a lot. I remember the exact spot where I came up with the idea for a particular scene for Lampje, my first book: under that horribly ugly viaduct. That’s such a special moment for a writer. You can pound any number of paths searching for inspiration, but then it suddenly comes to you unexpectedly on that one particular walk. Isn’t it great how that works?’

annetschaap.com