David Van Reybrouck

David Van Reybrouck, born in Belgium in 1971, is a cultural historian, archaeologist, poet, playwright and non-fiction writer. He has been described as ‘one of the leading intellectuals in Europe’ (Der Tagesspiegel). His highly-acclaimed books on colonial history, Congo and Revolusi, have become international bestsellers. In 2025, he was named “Philosopher Laureate” in the Netherlands and Flanders. Revolusi, Van Reybrouck’s book on the independence of Indonesia, was both nominated for the Cundill History Prize and the Baillie Gifford Non-Fiction Award. His essay Against Elections: The Case for Democracy was translated into over twenty languages and drew praise from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His plays Mission and Para have toured internationally, and his poetry has culminated into Rain Requiem, a tribute to climate victims. Van Reybrouck is a pioneering advocate of deliberative democracy. He founded the G1000 Citizens’ Summit, and his work had led to trials in participatory democracy throughout Belgium, The Netherlands, and France. In 2021 he was a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities of Bard College, New York. In 2024, he was Arne Naess Professor at the University of Oslo, named after Norway’s most famous philosopher. 

Congo. The Epic History Of A People
New York, 2015

Against Elections. The Case For Democracy
New York, 2016

Revolusi. Indonesia And The Birth Of The Modern World
New York, 2025