What can a fungal network teach us?
From a first date to a political debate, it is in encounters with others that we are most human. Every romantic relationship depends on attention and trust — and couldn’t the same be said of every other relationship? In the premiere of All Real Living is Meeting at Explore the North Festival, Esmé van den Boom uses poetry, stories, and music to explore the art of meeting one another. A performance about opening yourself up to someone else, regardless of the risk; about the lessons we can learn from fungal networks; and about the ways expectations shape reality.
About Esmé
Esmé van den Boom (1993) writes poetry, prose, and songs. She served as poet laureate of the University of Groningen, was a finalist in Write Now!, and was selected for writing residencies by organizations including deBuren and Das Mag. The municipality of Groningen awarded her the Hendrik de Vries Scholarship for her collection Eigen kamers, about the hopes and anxieties of Groningen women regarding the future. From 2024 through 2025, Esmé served as the city poet of Groningen.
Her work consistently revolves around fascination and discovery — an exploration of the familiar. She has performed at festivals and venues including Noorderzon, Read My World, Dichters in de Prinsentuin, and the Frankfurt Book Fair.