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Schrijverscafé met Bernice Notenboom

8 February 2026
- 15:00 – 17:00

On Sunday afternoon, February 8th, our guest will be Bernice Notenboom. She’s a writer, journalist, filmmaker, but above all, a professional adventurer.

She was the survival expert for the television program “Alone” in the Netherlands. In 2008, she was the first Dutch woman to reach the South Pole on skis, and she also skied to the North Pole. She climbed Mount Everest. She led three expeditions to Spitsbergen and Antarctica with over 200 executives from major Dutch and Belgian companies. With her 2016 film “Seablind” and 2021’s “Sky Gods,” she raised awareness of the environmental impact of the shipping and aviation industries. Her 2011 book “Opposites” was nominated for the Bob den Uyl Prize.

She has written several books, including “Arctica,” which she will also discuss this afternoon. She has been infected with the polar virus: a fascination with breathtaking beauty and silence, the intense physical experiences of traveling in freezing temperatures through unpredictable terrain. But also a fascination with the visible effects of global warming.

In her latest book Survival Mind she takes you to the edge of the possible.

What happens in your brain when you suddenly find yourself face to face with danger? Why do some people survive while others perish?

“Survival doesn’t start with an emergency kit, it starts with your brain.”

Bernice Notenboom combines gripping survival stories with fascinating science about how our brains and bodies cope with extreme situations. Is it instinct, mental strength, or pure chance that determines who survives?

With her unique perspective on human vulnerability and resilience, she reveals how our brains function under pressure in life-threatening circumstances. How do we make decisions in a crisis? What effect does fear have on our bodies?

Survival Mind answers these questions and helps you understand how to become stronger and more resilient, both in everyday life and in extreme circumstances. It’s a compelling, revealing, and inspiring journey to the limits of the human mind.

With powerful images, anecdotes and experiences from her expedition life, we learn how ingenious the brain and human body can be.

Has your curiosity been aroused?

Then come to Cultura on Sunday afternoon, February 8th. Doors open at 2:30 PM, and the program runs from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Admission is €15.00 in advance and €17.50 at the door, including a cup of coffee or tea. There will also be an opportunity to purchase Bernice’s books.