Ruigoord

Ruigoord ( [ˈrœyxoːrt]) is a village in the Houtrakpolder in the Dutch province of North Holland, situated within the municipality of Amsterdam. Until the 1880s, it was an island in the IJ bay, which turned into a polder. The village is nowadays partially closed in by the Port of Amsterdam, and lies about 8 km east of Haarlem.

Map of Ruigoord, Netherlands

In the 1960s the village was evacuated by the municipality of Amsterdam, which intended to extend its harbour, but the plans fell through. In 1973 the village was squatted by a group of artists who planned to make a colony there. As such it exists to this day, but is legalized nowadays. Full moon parties are regularly organised in the formerly Roman Catholic village church and every year there is the Landjuweel (Land Jewel) festival in August.

Since the early 2000s, the village has staged an annual poetry festival over the Whitsun weekend, Vurige tongen (Fiery Tongues). One of the festival's three days is always devoted to international poets. From 2003 on, a yearly Ruigoord Trophy has been awarded to individuals who have selflessly dedicated themselves to maintaining the village as an important cultural stronghold. The first such trophy was presented to Simon Vinkenoog. Three notable non-Dutch trophy holders are the late American poet and photographer Ira Cohen, the Canada-born writer Jordan Zinovich, and the Amsterdam-based American poet and writer Eddie Woods.