The book 'The Smell of Olhão is in Town

The books have arrived in Olhão. The authors have popped the champagne and are feeling satisfied.

On Sunday afternoon, November 9th, at 5:00 PM, the presentation and signing of The Smell of Olhão will take place at República 14 in Olhão – complete with a vernissage and party.

One of the many 'atmospheric' drawings by Edwin

The text on the back cover says it all:

“Warning: this is not another stupid travel guide.”

And that’s no lie. The abundance of drawings makes it something between a comic book and a sketch of the raw, unpolished underbelly of Olhão. The illustrations are by Edwin Hagendoorn, who has lived for years between Amsterdam and Olhão. His razor-sharp observations on paper expose the “real” side of the town. The stories by writer and journalist Arthur van Amerongen are just as rough as Edwin’s drawings, while Nelli Konstantinova completes the book with over thirty fantastic local recipes, including several vegetarian ones. I had the pleasure of contributing with a story about Olhão’s “cubist architecture.”

Will Köhlen