![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.missfoodwise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Belgian-cafe-culture-regula-ysewijn-AWARD-SQ3-LR.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nUPDATE 2021 – Belgian Caf\u00e9 Culture is getting a 5 year anniversary edition with a new cover! I am so very pleased! Publication date in early November!<\/strong><\/p>\n A week after the launch of Pride And Pudding, exactly one year ago, I started working on a new book, a passion project…<\/p>\n This book ‘Belgian Caf\u00e9 Culture \/ Authentieke Belgische Caf\u00e9s (in English and Dutch) is a plea to carefully handle the fragile caf\u00e9 heritage of Belgium. For too long have we taken these little caf\u00e9s for granted. Not enough have we stopped to think about their history and their relevance in our culture. They are part of our social and cultural patrimony in Belgium. When I walk the streets, everywhere I look I see forgotten and lost caf\u00e9s.<\/p>\n When I read in the papers that a much-loved caf\u00e9 was going to close down I went to visit it, to talk to the people there who were about to lose their local. I was probably one of the last to document it. Nothing could be done; the owners of the building wanted to renovate the caf\u00e9 and there is wind of a more hipster implementation. For this reason alone a lot of authentic caf\u00e9s have had to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But the need for modernisation is not the only reason why so many old Belgian caf\u00e9s disappear. The ones that have been in the family for generations often disappear because there are no children who want to take over, or because no-one dares to take over an old-fashioned caf\u00e9. The caf\u00e9s that have been closing in the last 5 years mostly become residential dwellings. All that remains are the memories of those who used to drink there.<\/p>\n A caf\u00e9 can be the centre of a community, where people laugh and cry together over a glass of ale. Where disagreements are settled with words and sometimes with the fist. But where people often help those who are in need. Listen to those who would otherwise only have silence as a reply. Births and weddings are celebrated, but so are the dead.<\/p>\n Clubs meet at caf\u00e9s and in the past they also doubled as village or theatre halls. Caf\u00e9s often had a small shop, a smithy, a hairdresser or a butcher\u2019s shop.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>This was very common before the 1980s. Today there\u2019s only one caf\u00e9 shop left and you can count the caf\u00e9 hairdressers on one hand.<\/p>\n In the larger cities the caf\u00e9s were also where people waited to be given work from the factories or the docks. It was also where they were paid at night. A caf\u00e9 landlady from Antwerp remembers the drama well when men spent their entire wages on beer and went home without a dime. There was a caf\u00e9 on every street corner in those days…<\/p>\n This book is dedicated to the landlords and ladies\u00a0who have been running these caf\u00e9s for generations or have been preserving the original interiors purely out of understanding of their importance. This book is not about me, it is about them and their livelihoods. Our Belgian Caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n Belgian Caf\u00e9 Culture<\/strong>\u00a0or Authentieke Belgische Caf\u00e9s<\/strong>\u00a0is a bilingual edition English\/Dutch. Published by LUSTER, 272 pages and hardback finish. If you’d like a signed copy (25 euro plus shipping), or a signed copy with a signed photo print\u00a0(50\u00a0euro plus shipping), please get in contact. There is a Dutch and an English cover.<\/strong> I will be sharing the limited edition<\/strong> version soon, this will contain a signed book, signed photoprint, and a ‘Zageman’ a kinetic toy<\/strong> used in Belgian Caf\u00e9s in the past (why you’ll read in the book where I explain the folkloristic customs). This edition will be limited to 10 only, and will be available for 99 euro plus shipping, or 150 euro for a painted ‘Zageman’ kinetic toy. More info and pictures soon, we’re making the ‘Zageman’ as we speak. (See the video here for a preview ><\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n My husband created these amazing kinetic toys which were traditionally used in Belgian caf\u00e9s! Available for sale, just a few of them \ud83d\ude42<\/p><\/div>\n For press get in touch by emailing me.<\/p>\n Because I want to share this book as much as I can to tell people about this fading heritage, I’m giving away 2 copies of the book. I’ll pick from the comments below, just tell me why you think this is important to be documented, or tell me about fading heritage in your country or region. Or another story! Post! Let’s get this conversation going!!<\/strong><\/p>\n Update: The winners are\u00a0Gabriela Athayde and\u00a0Rossella Di Bidino<\/a>. Please get in touch with your address! (see my email on the contact page!)<\/strong><\/p>\n In Dutch:<\/p>\n Antwerp Beer College ><\/a><\/p>\n Bier Cuisine ><\/a><\/p>\n Het Laatste Nieuws ><\/a><\/p>\n ZNOR design site ><\/a><\/p>\n Bierflash ><\/a><\/p>\n Cultuur Select ><\/a><\/p>\n English<\/strong><\/p>\n Tine At Home Blog ><\/a><\/p>\n Desperate Reader ><\/a><\/p>\n French<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nWritten, photographed and designed by your truly. The cover is by my husband Bruno Vergauwen<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n
\nAlternatively you can also contact the publisher directly or go to your local bookstore (in Belgium) or order online at the usual places (Amazon<\/a>, or\u00a0Waterstones<\/a>\u00a0to name two)<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Some Reviews<\/strong><\/h2>\n