Wilde Erbsen

A triumph of literary imagination. Jury statement for the Libris Literature Prize. Elke is different, and she always has been. She doesn't wear the right clothes, doesn't ask the right questions, and loves the wrong people in the eyes of society. As a result, she feels she doesn't truly belong anywhere and repeatedly stumbles into absurd situations. But as a biologist, Elke knows that everything grows towards the light. A novel that uncovers all layers—layers of earth, time, and prejudice. "Wild Peas" tells the story of seed breeder Elke, who, after a failed attempt to cultivate a new pumpkin variety, travels to an island off the Dutch North Sea coast. There, she aims to rewild the original pea. Alongside this endeavor and Elke's own search for identity, the mythical figure Ra appears, who lived nine thousand years ago in Southwest Asia. She is attributed with special powers, making her both an oracle and a scapegoat for the community. Ra seems, just like Elke in the present, to fit into no category. The peas also demonstrate that binarity is something that does not exist in nature—until humans intervene. Mariken Heitman has written a clever, contemporary, and humorous novel about naturalness, agriculture, and the big questions of human existence. Mariken Heitman's novel is multi-layered, eloquent, and highly original. Heitman is a thoughtful and original thinker. I was captivated by the precise, resonant, and imaginative language that never becomes sentimental or pretentious. This innovative novel surprised me in every way.