Dean Bowen (1984) is a poet, performer and psychonaut. During his explorations in the universe of the mind, he examines the dynamics of the composite identity and how this relates to a political and social situation. His debut collection Bokman is lyrical, passionate and furious; a personal quest that reveals universal patterns and allows many voices to speak. In a stunning fashion, he unravels his own annoyances that take place on different continents. In doing so, he stirs up forgotten histories and dissects the structures that maintain our oppressed political welfare. How does an individual stay alive within all those mechanisms?

Dean Bowen published on the online platforms Samplekanon and Hard // Hoofd and in magazines such as nY and Kunsttijdschrift Vlaanderen. His powerful public speaking skills have made him a popular guest at several spoken word stages in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Dean Bowen is an editor at Perdu, won the first Van Dale SPOKEN Award and his debut Bokman was nominated for the C. Buddingh Prize. This year he will be one of The Chronicles during the festival.