Thousands of children in the Netherlands have been conceived as donor children over the past few decades – and some of them through fraudulent practices. One of them is the Radboud historian Adriejan van Veen.

In today’s episode, the first of a two-part-series, Antonia talks with Adriejan about why some doctors used fraudulent practices – for example by using their own sperm – to conceive children. And which historical frameworks made those practices possible in the first place.

Adriejan van Veen is a political historian at the Faculty of Arts. In 2025, he received a NWO XS grant to study the history of insemination fraud and other abuses by fertility doctors between the 1970s and 2004.

Would you like to learn more about the topic of insemination fraud? Then follow Adriejan’s recommendations and watch the documentaries „Het zaad van Karbaat“ (VPRO, in Dutch) and „The Man with 1000 Kids“ (Netflix, in English). You can also listen to the podcast „De Kwak Kwaakt“, in which Adriejan talks about his research and own experience being a donor child that was conceived through a fraudulent practice in Dutch.

This episode is part of a two-part series. The second part will be released on the 19th of May.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why do young people want to read more than they actually do? Why does it sometimes require bravery to admit that one is a reader? And what makes reading literature so important for our development?

In the 7th episode of In a Nutshell, Jara and her guest Jeroen Dera find answers to these questions. Together, they uncover the perks and pitfalls of BookTok, examine the connection between open-mindedness and reading, and investigate what keeps young people from reading.

Jeroen is an associate professor of Dutch literature. In his research, he focuses on the reading culture of young people and on the role literature plays in education.

Do you want to know more about this topic? Make sure to follow Jeroen’s recommendations and read “The Reading Lives of Teens”, edited by Chin Ee Loh, and “De lezende mens”, by Adriaan van der Weel and Ruud Hisgen.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why is producing more food not a solution to globalhunger? What needs to happen for our food systems to become more sustainable? And what role does property play in all of this?

In the eight episodes of In a Nutshell, host Jara explores food and the land it grows on. Together with her guest, Adam Calo, she learns about growing populations, the myth of feeding the world, and soil as an underlying problem.

Adam is an assistant professor of Environmental Governance and Politics. In his research, he studies how our land governance prevents us from transitioning to a more sustainable, ecologically resilient, and just food system.

Do you want to know more about food and sustainablefood systems? Make sure to follow Adam’s recommendations and read the book Beginning to End Hunger by M. Jahi Chappell, listen to Adam’s very own podcast called Landscapes, or watch the documentary Food Chains directed by Sanjay Rawal.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise