Leon de Winter

Writer and film maker Leon de Winter loves to express his opinion on major international themes that touch him, for instance the situation in the Middle East and Iraq. "I regularly have the feeling that opinions are missing or that there is a hole in our media landscape."

On his weblog and in his lectures de Winter has no problem whatsoever to make clear where he stands and what he thinks of current developments and the events that led to them. Those qualities make him an excellent chairman. He knows how to lead any discussion.

In 1976, de Winter wrote his first novel, a collection of short stories, 'About the emptiness in the world' (‘Over de leegte in de wereld’). He studied at the Film Academy in Amsterdam. A great number of his books have been made into movies, under which 'Searching for Eileen W.' and 'La Place de la Bastille'. He directed 'Hoffman's hunger' and 'Hollywood's heaven' - starring Rod Steiger, Burt Reynolds and Tom Berenger - himself. In 2002, his novel 'God's gym' was published, followed by 'The right to return' ('Recht op terugkeer'), situated in Israel. The author is married to writer/journalist Jessica Durlacher. They have two children.

March 2006, Leon de Winter was awarded the Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal, issued by the Coordinating Council for Christian-Jewish Co-Operation in Germany, for his ongoing battle against anti-semitic and racial tendencies in contemporary politics.