Behind the scenes The idea for ‘Tutti frutti’ arose as early as 2010 when, as a graphic designer, I came into contact with a number of entrepreneurs of different nationalities. I became fascinated by their stories about what it was like, as an entrepreneur with a foreign background, to start a business in The Netherlands. Suddenly I saw a book before me! A book that would answer questions that had increasingly fascinated me: the questions now answered by 28 entrepreneurs on these pages. The title came to me immediately: ‘Tutti frutti’. A symbol of diversity. As a little girl I was already fascinated by the atmosphere and dynamics of travelling. I stood at Schiphol airport and thought: “This is what I want,” although I couldn’t then formulate exactly what ‘this’ was. As an adult I worked in tourism for ten years, of which a number were spent working abroad: in Spain, Italy, Austria and France. I loved working with people of different nationalities - and soon discovered they all had different ways of working. I found a group of wonderful people to help me with this project: a photographer, a translation agency, a copywriter... a great team! The start We travelled The Netherlands for more than 1 1/2 years: not only for the interviews but also, later, to photograph our entrepreneurs. We aimed for original portrayals, in typically Dutch locations. And how we enjoyed this quest! The beautiful places, the changing seasons and, especially, the infectious enthusiasm of our entrepreneurs. Heart-warming! I had taken seriously into account that not everyone would show up exactly on time. In southern Europe, as I had personally experienced, this is not unusual. To my surprise everyone came exactly at the appointed time! Our Dutch punctuality proved to be a characteristic that every participant in our Tutti frutti project clearly appreciated enormously - and observed faithfully. The photographs Photographer Karin Huijzendveld could put every participant at their ease within five minutes. To loosen up and relax in front of the camera she had entre34 preneurs running, jumping, throwing sand and hanging from bridges. In combination with the enthusiasm of the participants this bred a very special dynamic, which has been captured in the photographs. The stories After all the interviews the next, critical phase began. I learned a new expression: ‘Kill your darlings’. Writing well often means writing as little as possible. Each interview was allowed to run to a maximum of 1,000 words. With much patience, copywriter Wilma van Kasteel edited my text. I discovered that a single sentence could sometimes generate an endless discussion. And many emails were exchanged, even during our holidays. Laptop in the bag, files in the cloud… The translations Then it was off to the translation agency, where Antoinette Chin a Loi - de Hoog managed the translation from Dutch into English. To us English-speaking Dutch, English often seems an easy language. So we are easily tempted to think we know better than the native speaker! But, as Antoinette said: ‘My agency translates every language - from English to the most exotic. But if there are any questions from clients, they are almost always about the English language. It is, literally, a ‘tricky’ language. The simplest phrases can hide the biggest pitfalls - for the non-native speaker.’ Antoinette not only took care of the translations. From the start she was an invaluable sounding board. The design In addition, I had to apply my own craft. Fun, and full of colour! That was my design brief. And in a book entitled Tutti frutti - fruit had to feature on the cover! What was more appropriate than an apple, a fruit so typically Dutch? Looking back, that was an inspired idea. Next to mangoes, apples proved be the favourite fruit of most of the participants in the Tutti frutti project. The fact that you’re reading this text means that the book is finished. We hope that some of the pleasure of making Tutti frutti and the way it has enriched our lives - will flavour yours! Saskia Maarse, September 2013
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