Mensen als zonnen en mensen als manen

Xillan Macrooy received a grant for the development of Mensen als zonnen en mensen als manen: a vivid and poetic novel that sensorially portrays the experience of growing up as a Black queer boy in Suriname. The book explores how ideas about masculinity can shape and influence an individual’s life. This work is part of a threefold project in which Xillan Macrooy is also creating a theater performance and a music album around the same theme.

Xillan is a Surinamese-Dutch multidisciplinary storyteller who celebrates his multiplicity in everything he does. As a product of multiple worlds, the ongoing transformation of identity plays a significant role in his work. With words, sounds, and images, Xillan creates experiences that are both challenging and inspiring for his audience. Over the next two years, Xillan will be working on his debut novel, debut album, and his first theater production as a theater maker.