David Van Reybrouck

David Van Reybrouck 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.