The Veenkoloniale Volksalmanak is doing well. The only almanac in Groningen that is published annually has no shortage of stories and readers. That seemed different a few years ago. “The paper book is back.”
Editor-in-chief Hendrik Andries Hachmer is satisfied. The 36th edition of the yearbook for the history of the Groningen peat colonies is hot off the press in stores. A handy book that knows its way to the interested reader. That seemed different a few years ago.
“We were not only afraid that the supply of articles would dry up, we also feared that the reader would only be interested in a digital version. That was the wrong idea,” says Hachmer. “Interest in the almanac has not been lost. The tide is turning. The paper book is in demand.”
Big surprise
The Veenkoloniale Volksalmanak appears in an edition of 900. “To our great surprise, the 2023 almanac is completely sold out. Only a few copies of the year 2022 are still available. People want to physically have something in their hands that they can browse through, put down and pick up again.”
In addition to being editor-in-chief, Hachmer is also director of the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam, which publishes the almanac. He has been on the editorial staff from the start. He saw at least 500 articles on a wide variety of topics.
“You can’t imagine anything so crazy. If it has a link with the peat colonies, or just outside them, we will pick it up. But we mainly focus on the history of Veendam and Wildervank with regular contributions about Stadskanaal, Hoogezand and the Pekelas. We present it in such a way that it is interesting for a broader audience.”
New writers sign up every year
The editors can call on a number of writers. “Every year new writers come forward with new ideas. The source of stories does not dry up.”
In this way, the editors manage to unearth new stories every year. Whether it concerns archaeological research in the peat colonies, attention to entrepreneurs such as the potato starch giant Willem Albert Scholten, or the history of beat music. “Everything passes by. From potato to starch. The first articles for next year are already ready.”
