William Sweetkind: King of Aloeka
Publisher: Luitingh-Sijthoff
Nominated for the Hotze de Roos Award and the Ludoq Award for Best Philosophical Book 2026
An ode to the power of fantasy to escape the harsh reality
Mixing humour and imagination with realistic themes of bullying, poverty and family relationships
Cover and full-colour endpapers by Mark Janssen
William Sweetkind wants nothing more than to travel. But with an unemployed father, there is no money for holidays. Fortunately, William has Aloeka: an island with its own flag, anthem, and unique bird species. William travels there in the evenings by closing his eyes to have all kinds of adventures. One day, unwelcome guests arrive on its coast. They chase King William from his castle and turn the island upside down. Can William reconquer his island? And can he convince school bully Wesley of the existence of Aloeka?
Praise:
‘My top three favorite books include two books by Roald Dahl and William Sweetkind: King of Aloeka.’ — Noud, 10 years old
‘Van Veen seamlessly weaves reality and fantasy together’ — Trouw
Rights sold to Iperborea (Italy)
