Introduction
In January 2025, I made the decision to stop publishing books in the Dutch language. This was not a retreat from poetry itself, but rather a refusal to engage with a literary landscape where censorship operates so insidiously that it lacks even the integrity to call me a dissident. My focus now shifts beyond the Dutch publishing world, toward new horizons where language can exist freely, unbound by the constraints of compromised institutions.
Early Life and Formative Years
Born in 1971 as Martinus Hendrikus Benders, I grew up in the Netherlands with an independent and inquisitive spirit. At sixteen, I left home to live in a squat, seeking life at its rawest. By seventeen, I was deeply immersed in philosophy and alternative modes of thought, particularly drawn to the work of Carlos Castaneda. His ideas on perception, reality, and the power of language left an indelible mark on me, shaping my understanding of poetry as more than mere expression—it became an instrument of transformation.
Entrepreneurial Ventures
In 2005, I moved to Turkey, first settling on Büyükada, a quiet island near Istanbul, before relocating to the city itself. During this time, I founded Myrmex Design, an online company built around a network of ten highly skilled professionals. Together, we operated with agility and creativity, embracing a decentralized model long before it became a trend.
A Life in Poetry
My debut collection, Karavanserai (Nieuw Amsterdam, 2008), was nominated for the Buddingh’ Prize and marked the beginning of a literary career that would continually defy categorization. My work has been described as lyrical, conceptual, satirical, and absurdist—often all at once.
Throughout my career, I have actively resisted the sterilizing influence of literary institutions. Whether through my Laibach-inspired anti-prize performance at the Buddingh’ ceremony or my dismantling of the absurd mechanics behind the Turing National Poetry Contest, I have never been one to play by the prescribed rules of Dutch literature.
Despite my critiques of the establishment, my work found a readership. Between 2014 and 2025, I published several collections with Van Gennep before co-founding De Kaneelfabriek, a publishing house committed to artistic independence.
Personal Life
In 2020, I married Veronique Hogervorst, my partner in both life and thought. Our original honeymoon plans were disrupted by the global pandemic, but this instead led to a period of deep reflection and recalibration. In that stillness, we envisioned a future not dictated by the mechanisms of conventional publishing, but by a freer engagement with art, philosophy, and the natural world.
Contributions and Legacy
Over the years, I published more than twenty books of poetry and prose, establishing myself as a singular voice within Dutch literature—though not one the literary establishment ever comfortably embraced. My work has always been an act of defiance, a refusal to accommodate mediocrity, whether through form, content, or direct critique of institutional power.
Selected Bibliography
- Karavanserai (2008, Nieuw Amsterdam)
- Wat koop ik voor jouw donkerwilde machten, Willem (2011, POD; 2014, Van Gennep)
- Baah Baaah Krakschaap / De P van Winterslaap (2019, De Kaneelfabriek)
- Gedichten om te Lezen in het Donker (2022, De Kaneelfabriek)
- De Dienst (2025, Unpublished)
The Moonmoth Monastery
In 2025, Veronique and I will relocate to Tuscany to establish the Moonmoth Monastery—a sanctuary dedicated to deep contemplation, artistic exploration, and the pursuit of alternative knowledge. But beyond that, it will be something even rarer: a place where magic is restored to the world.
We will breed lunar moths, luminous creatures that exist at the threshold between reality and dream. Their presence is a quiet rebellion against the dull machinery of modern existence, a reminder that mystery still flutters at the edges of perception. In a world drowning in cynicism and warped by political dysfunction, we believe that magic—real, tangible magic—is not just a luxury but a necessity.
The Moonmoth Monastery will stand as a testament to this belief, a refuge for those who seek something beyond the ordinary. While the world spirals further into manufactured crises and empty rhetoric, we will be tending to the luminous wings of the night, keeping alive that which cannot be measured, bought, or controlled.
Martinus Benders