Refuge found in Holland

Yesterday at the Fringe in Den Haag I met poet Rodaan al Galidi and he asked me to take another blip with his eyes shut ~ the one with eyes open is in the extra.

Rodhan al Khalidi is an author and poet in dutch language, a language he's mastered as an autodidact!
After finishing his studies civil engeneering in his native country Iraq he'd fled from there as he didn't want to join for the army's conscription. After a journey of 6 years on the run he arrived in Holland as a refugee and initially was not accepted as an asylumseeker, but the general pardon of 2007 included him and he thus could and can stay here!
Due to the insecurity about his status as asylumseeker he wasn't allowed to take classes in dutch language, so he learned it himself and started writing in this language. I marvel his persistance and am glad he's got acknowledgement here and in Belgium for his talent!
A novel of his is translated into the english language, called Thirsty River.
Wikipedia on Rhodan / Rodaan