Amsterdam Publishers Mission Statement

Celebrating 12 Years of Success

JCC Upper West Side NYC, 12 September 2024

This year, 2024, marks the 12th anniversary of Amsterdam Publishers, and its ongoing mission to preserve, document, and share stories of Holocaust survivors and their families.

Over the past decade, the bond between this niche publishing house and its incredible authors has grown even stronger, as the importance of sharing Holocaust stories is more important than ever. Together, Liesbeth Heenk, its founder, and the authors are creating and releasing stories that resonate deeply with readers of all ages. Amsterdam Publishers has created a big, warm family of authors who support and encourage each other on their personal journeys. … Read the rest

Press Release 10-Year Anniversary Amsterdam Publishers

New York City, 14 September 2022

10-year Anniversary of Europe’s Premier Holocaust Publisher

Amsterdam Publishers celebrates in New York its ongoing efforts to preserve Holocaust memories.

Amsterdam Publishers focuses on Holocaust memoirs written by Jewish survivors and their descendants.

Founded by Liesbeth Heenk in 2012, it started as a general publisher, but gradually turned into the niche publisher it is today, having built a reservoir of over 60 books in English, and now releasing circa 27 books on the subject per year.

Its 10th anniversary was celebrated in New York with a drinks party for US authors on 12 September at the Dutch Consulate, to which 4 survivors were able to attend, and at Studio Libeskind (for press and organisations) the day after.… Read the rest

Speech at Studio Libeskind (New York City, 13 September 2022)

Tuesday 13 September – Studio Libeskind (New York City)

Speech by Liesbeth Heenk – owner of Amsterdam Publishers on the occasion of the 10-year anniversary of her publishing house

I would like to start by thanking Daniel and Nina Libeskind and the Dutch Consulate for generously hosting this special event.

I am very grateful to be able to celebrate the launch of Aftermath and the 10-year anniversary of my publising house and here at Studio Libeskind.

Just like her brother, Annette is a multi-talent. Although a scientist by education, she writes beautifully flowing prose; she has a delicate way of evoking senses through her words – choosing those words with great care.… Read the rest

Q&A with Liesbeth Heenk, Director of Amsterdam Publishers

As the founder of Amsterdam Publishers, an international publishing house specializing in Holocaust memoirs, Liesbeth Heenk has been devoting the past 10 years of her life to offer a platform for Holocaust survivors where they can share their stories and shed light on our collective—and dare we say, horrendous—past. This effort has led Amsterdam Publishers to presently being ranked as the biggest international publisher of Holocaust memoirs in Europe. We sat down with Liesbeth to talk more about her background, her motivation behind publishing Holocaust books, as well as her goals and ambitions for the future.

As an art historian by education, how did you come to publish Holocaust books?… Read the rest

Why is publishing Holocaust Memoirs by Survivors important?

Amsterdam Publishers is the most active and biggest international publisher in Europe of Holocaust Memoirs by Survivors. We feel committed to keep our focus on this important genre.

Covid-19 has hastened the departure of many Holocaust survivors, resisters and eyewitnesses of the Second World War. This is especially troubling news given the current rise of antisemitism, neofascism, political extremism, and manipulation of the facts about the Holocaust across the world. During the events at the Capitol on 6th January 2021 some of the rioters wore anti-Jewish hate shirts making mockery of the annihilation of European Jews.

As never before, reading about the Holocaust and Holocaust education seems crucial.… Read the rest

Why does Amsterdam Publishers want to start a Holocaust Educational Program?

In view of the globally rising antisemitism, Amsterdam Publishers and renowned Holocaust scholar Dr Joanna Michlic, are exploring ideas about an online educational project wherein Holocaust survivor memoirs are used as an essential educational tool for engagement with students from grade 8 (age 13) up to the college.

Although we now have hologram-like projections of survivors created by the USC Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation in Los Angeles, we believe that written testimonies are still central for the memorialization and remembrance of Holocaust survivors and education against antisemitism. In spite of the limitations of the written testimonies, they can offer us both a tangible and visceral access to the world of thinking, feeling and being of the child survivors, at different stages of their lives, in a way that the hologram-projectors figures cannot do.… Read the rest

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