The book describes the first six months of his travels: how he went into the world to seek fame and recognition, which he didn’t get, but what he got instead is Pancake Adventures. “They marketed it a bit like the Eat Pray Love for millenials. It’s kind of the spiritual inner journey but not as cheesy.” After Willem’s return to Amsterdam, it took about 6 months for him to find a publisher and another 9 months to finish writing the book. “It’s the same thing that happened when I started the Pancake Adventures during my travels. I thought now everything is gonna happen and then… nobody cared.” He laughs. “It takes time.”
The book is so far available in Dutch and will soon be published in German. According to Willem, some Icelandic and Japanese translators have been interested too. Despite that, he is already thinking about a second book, which will talk about his time at home. Discussions with a TV broadcaster are also on the way, and these might result in the production of an online show. If the idea is declined, Willem says he’ll just do the filming himself. He has already planned the trip which would take him from St. Petersburg to Johannesburg.