Richard de Nooy

Author's details

Biography

Richard de Nooy (1965) grew up in South Africa and vowed to travel the world. He didn’t get much further than Amsterdam, where he has lived for the past 25 years. He spends his days writing and translating and staring at the sky, trying to guess where the planes are going. He will be mapping his ignorance of the world’s cities from his desk chair, using his preferred mode of transport; the worldwide web. He hopes readers will excuse his ignorance and help fill the vast gaps in his knowledge with entertaining and enlightening anecdotes about their home towns. Richard de Nooy’s novels have been published in English and Dutch. You’ll find further information on his site www.richarddenooy.com. Photo by Stefanie Grätz

Latest posts

  1. My Father and the Sunflowers — May 3, 2013
  2. You Vee Double-You Ex Why Zzzzz — April 12, 2013
  3. Wandering Art — March 29, 2013
  4. “Hey, they all start with T!” — March 15, 2013
  5. Musical masters painting in perfect unison — February 22, 2013

Author's posts listings

29
Jul
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Buenos Aires

“Nice Air” – that’s what I thought Buenos Aires meant. Which just goes to show how ignorant I am. The truth is always more complicated. Especially if you consult your wife. Allow me to explain. The Argentine capital was founded twice. The first time round it was named Santa María del Buen Aire (“Our Lady… read more »

22
Jul
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Miami Vice

I have always had a rather troubled relationship with Miami. It all began with Crocket and Tubbs. For older readers, those names will immediately conjure up images of two flashy detectives racing around Miami in expensive cars and speedboats, fighting Florida drug lords. Younger readers may have seen the more recent movie remake of the… read more »

15
Jul
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Norway

I have always wanted to see The Fjords. I’m not sure why. Maybe because they featured in my father’s travel slides, which we begged him to screen three or four times a year, before we got a TV. I was also pretty crazy about Vikings and Prince Valiant back in those days, and I loved… read more »

08
Jul
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Family Home

I can’t put it off any longer: I must write about Johannesburg. And I must start by saying that no other city in the world fills me with such dread. Maybe everyone who flees their hometown returns with that heavy stone in their stomachs. In my case, it’s more like a bagful of pebbles that… read more »

01
Jul
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Photo of Hen - Toulouse

I have never been to Toulouse, but my friend Sparrow has. Last week he sent me several scanned pages of the diary he kept during our trip to France. This was back in the mid-1980s, when we were still young and adventurous and blonde. At this point, I think I should warn younger readers to… read more »

24
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Photo - Jesse Warren

Whenever I feel cocky and think I’m starting to get a grip on the world, I remind myself of China and realise how ignorant I really am. Until about a week ago, I knew the names of three Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I’d read about other cities in articles, but somehow their… read more »

17
Jun
posted by Richard de Nooy at 14:00 comment View Comments
Backpacker in Bangkok

I hate camping. There, I’ve said it. I just don’t get it. Why surround yourself with all sorts of creature comforts – a magnificent mattress, a fully-functioning fridge, a dandy dishwasher, a spacious stove, copious cutlery and crockery, and a queue-free toilet and shower – and then leave all that behind to “get back to… read more »