About this Event
Please join us in ABC Amsterdam for an afternoon with Marcel van Engelen, author of . Marcel will talk about the book and the process of making it, have a Q&A, and sign the book afterwards.
About the book:
Amsterdam in the late 1970s and early 1980s seemed to have lost its way. Scarred by decay, addiction, and widespread squatting, the city faced rising unemployment, an exodus of residents, and offices abandoning the historic center. Few would have predicted the transformation that was to follow.
Within a decade, the tide had turned. Economic recovery opened the door to renewal. Neighborhoods improved, former factories became creative spaces, young urban professionals moved in, and families chose to stay. Amsterdam reinvented itself, not overnight, but street by street, district by district.
This success, however, has proved double-edged. In recent years, Amsterdam has attracted so many people, businesses, and capital that a new crisis has emerged – one of success. Housing shortages, mass tourism, and widening inequality are once again reshaping the city, making it increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible.
This English edition is a revised and updated version of the Dutch original De stad (2024), translated by the author.
About the author:
Marcel van Engelen (1971) is a journalist and author. He wrote for the Amsterdam daily Het Parool for many years and has contributed to various Dutch newspapers and magazines. His previous book, Het kasteel van Elmina (2013), won the Brusse Prize, the award for the best Dutch-language work of narrative nonfiction.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The American Book Center, 12 Spui, Amsterdam, Netherlands
EUR 0.00
