Gilbert Van Hoeydonck: 5 books

As a child in World War II, Gilbert Delcon refused to seek shelter when the air raid sirens went off over his village in Belgium. Enthralled by the sleek lines of the Spitfires, he ran outside to watch the planes pass overhead. Ten years later, he sought to fulfil his dream of one day flying a ‘Spit’....

That old school photo takes on extra significance when you see it again fifty years later and on the other side of the world (short story, 1160 words).

As a young boy grows up, his grandfather’s wartime stories become darker and more complex. What really happened on 10 September 1914, when German troops overran the Belgian village of Haacht, and how can we ever make sense of the past?

A camping trip in the Belgian Ardennes takes an unexpected turn when three students cross paths with a fugitive in the forest. As they are forced to make choices, they discover the ambiguity of their own motivations.

Kurt is a disillusioned case worker struggling in an under-resourced child protection system. When he takes on the case of Gecko, a sixteen-year-old with a traumatic past and a shaky future, he is determined to make a difference. But the best of intentions are not enough. Meanwhile Libby, a...