Paulien Bakker studied journalism and psychology and has over twenty-five years of experience in journalism. She is one of the founders and was the director of the Foundation for Literary Journalism. In recent years, she has worked extensively from Iraq and Rwanda. Paulien wrote (among other works) two well-received literary non-fiction books, Een romantisch volk (A Romantic People) and Wat volgt op een vergissing (What Follows a Mistake), both of which are set in Iraq. Paulien's journalistic work has appeared in at least 35 media outlets, including Volkskrant, Vrij Nederland, NRC, Trouw, Psychologie Magazine, Flow, as well as the American Narratively and Al Jazeera English. Additionally, she coaches writers and photographers in storytelling.

See also: Schrijfkracht.nl/