Amsterdam Weekly: Connoisseurs of the City
Posted by Simon Sellars under Sleepy Brain, The Netherlands, writing, interviews
interview by Simon Sellars
Originally published on Sleepy Brain, 11 May 2004.
Recently I was in Amsterdam on a writing assignment. I hadn’t been there for years and I had the usual backpacker’s memory of the place: hash, beer, Red Light District, canals…all the old cliches. This time around, however, I gained a deeper understanding of this quite incredible pocket of Europe. I’m no expert, but Amsterdam seems to be undergoing quite a substantial change as the Netherlands — indeed, as much of Europe — undergoes a noticeable swing towards the political right.
Sure, it still throbs with thrillseekers, but the famous profligacy of the place seems markedly toned down since the last time I was there; the police are cracking down on hash-touting coffeeshops, for example, and there seems to be new-ish, palpable air of seriousness to Amsterdam. Could the city be in the throes of shucking off its old image as European Party Central? Is it entering a new dawn, less to do with hedonism and more to do with rigid social engineering? (Perhaps that’s always been the case, though, and that old image was merely a well-ordered illusion to nullify conflict by way of state-sanctioned excess.)
My new understanding of Amsterdam was helped immeasurably by Amsterdam Weekly, an English-language, free paper that was launched when I was there. It’s a great read, with a critical, unflinching eye cast on the city and those who flock like moths to its flame. There was an article criticising an apparent lack of spontaneity that’s seemingly deeply entreched in Amsterdam and Holland’s social fabric; one that discussed the problem of squatters; another lamenting the city’s rigid bicycle regulations, neatly puncturing Amsterdam’s long-held claim to be a car-free, cycling nirvana. Most of all, though, it was irreverent, smart and sassy, with an undeniable love for Amsterdam in all its eccentric guises. If the paper did criticise, then it seemed designed to show the casual reader that there’s more to Amsterdam than the unholy drugs-prostitutes quinella. You won’t find articles on tulips or windmills in this paper.
The issues of Amsterdam Weekly I read, though, had no editorial, no defined statement of intent; thus, I wanted to know more about this compelling publication that had opened my eyes to a different Amsterdam. And with that goal in mind, I contacted the paper’s Managing Editor, Richard Jurgens, and gave him the third degree: what, exactly, is Amsterdam Weekly all about?
Richard, as a South African, how long have you been in Amsterdam? What took you there?
While studying philosophy at university in Johannesburg I got involved in politics and became a member of the ANC. They asked me to teach at their school in Tanzania and I ended up working for a couple of years in several Frontline states before being sent to Holland. This was back in the late 1980s. It was an exciting time. I got involved in progressive underground politics in Amsterdam. I’d been living here for six years when Nelson Mandela was released. It was a high point in my life to be introduced to Madiba when he visited Holland shortly after his release. But I was suddenly faced with a tough personal dilemma: to leave my adopted home town or return to my original home town.
In 1994 I decided to return to Johannesburg. Exile, especially when it is sudden, leaves many relationships up in the air — family, friends, memories, projects. In South Africa I worked as a freelance writer and journalist, writing for a variety of national newspapers and magazines. It was great to reconnect with the city which I’d had to leave in a hurry eight years before. But I kept having dreams about Amsterdam — friends, concerts, cafés, Vondelpark in summer, galleries, spaces where I had been to parties, places where I had met interesting people, being able to ride a bike everywhere… I returned to Amsterdam in 1999.
What are some of the things you appreciate about living in Amsterdam?
Part of Amsterdam’s appeal is its unique combination of cosmopolitan atmosphere and smaller-scale city life. ‘Life on a human scale,’ as they like to say here. Another is the fact that the rest of Europe is so accessible. You can easily visit grander cities like Paris, Prague or London, and come back to the smaller scale of things here with a sense of relief.
How did you become involved with Amsterdam Weekly?
A few years ago I was working as a freelancer at Het Financieele Dagblad/International Herald Tribune. A fellow freelancer there, Todd Savage, a journalist from Chicago, was working on a business plan for a new free city weekly. He invited me to contribute ideas toward an editorial policy and infrastructure and to start developing a network of writers.
Our editorial aim is to offer readers a combination of quality features about the cultural scene with a ‘comprehensively selective’ arts calendar in an attractive free weekly format. Our business aim is to make the paper a culturally sought-after medium where mostly small and middle-sized city-based businesses can advertise to a culturally sophisticated public at competitive rates.
What’s your circulation? Who do you see your readership as?
Our circulation is presently hovering at around 21,000. We have more than 400 outlets around the city. We see our readers as cosmopolitan residents of Amsterdam. The city has become increasingly international during the last 15 to 20 years. There are sizable British and American communities, as well as quite a few people from other English-speaking countries (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa). In fact a slight majority of Amsterdam residents are now non-Dutch in origin, so we’re also keen to encourage interest from other communities which are comfortable with English. Many Dutch-speaking residents are also cosmopolitan in attitude and enjoy reading about their city in English, especially amusingly informative articles and ‘insider’ listings which they can’t easily find anywhere else.
I was surprised that there was no editorial, especially in the first few issues. Could you elaborate on that decision?
From the beginning we felt that the main editorial focus of the paper should be on report-based narrative writing, rather than opinion, so a regular editorial didn’t seem appropriate. Almost all of our writers are freelancers, and we want to give them an opportunity to develop a voice and profile in the paper before deciding on regular contributors.
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