For 7 years, Tim de Wit has been the voice of the United Kingdom for us. He appears everywhere when the word Brexit is mentioned, and we cling to his news story with all our might in the hope of understanding what is happening on the island. In this book we are re-acquainted with a country which cannot be given a complete description.
to monitor
“As a reporter, we see the movement in society, we’re in the middle of the battlefield, but still on the sidelines.” De Wit’s homeland is a story he doesn’t always tell. Expectations rarely match reality. We see how De Witt makes new decisions with careful observation.
We in the Netherlands will not be satisfied with dubious observation, we need facts, clarity, a clear explanation, a concise narrative. But what do you do when that vague voice proves impossible? How do you explain a situation clearly when the picture is cloudy? There is no time to search for the best way to report when the news is so pressing.
Impossible task
“In any weather, at any time, we are ready to provide the Netherlands with the right information. Sometimes it resembles violins still playing on a sinking ship. Against better judgement, because the Netherlands is finally a guest as well. How long will this relationship last?” The book gives a good picture of the impossible task faced by Tim de Wit and the reporters after him.
“We watch the struggle, but the joy of finding the right information in a sea of conflicting reports and high-profile but distracting rumours. Adrenaline rushes through our veins as we report from the balcony at Westminster Tower. Without any preparation. Another exceptional political event.” Now that de Wit can see the situation from afar, we can tell many of the stories based on the press report.
Appreciation
Identify the archaic structures of power upon which the United Kingdom is built, analyze the situation in which the country finds itself, and look more carefully to the future. United Kingdom is such a nice collective name that we don’t even know what it means.
For years it was all too obvious in the country that the hard questions weren’t being asked, but now that everything has been shaken up England needs to reinvent itself. The story that Tim de Wit ultimately tells in this book is certainly not neutral and would not fit in a short news bulletin, but it ensures that we look more carefully, more intelligently, and above all at the press report of the United Kingdom. Many compliments.
Honorable mention
This month’s honorable mention goes to the book Willem Frederik Hermans Most important photos.
