"Kingstreet is a magazine about the good life in The Hague and its surroundings," Simeone explains at Hotel Indigo, diagonally opposite Paleis Noordeinde. "King is of course a nod to The Hague's most famous resident, King Willem-Alexander, but it will definitely not be a magazine about the royal family." The first magazine will be unveiled at this hotel on 26 November. "In Kingstreet, there is a lot of focus on culture, lifestyle and gastronomy. Where you can eat and drink well. For people with an international background, food is much more important than for Dutch people. I myself have an Italian background and then it is very normal to talk for hours about how to make the ultimate pasta sauce."

Glossy

Simeone (47) has been editor-in-chief of the glossy Bij Ons In De Residentie (BOIDR) for five years. She stresses that Kingstreet is a stand-alone magazine and not a copy of BOIDR. "However, like Bij Ons In De Residentie, this English-language magazine is published once a year at the end of November.

English

On our website, we also share the best nightlife tips in English throughout the year." She and her publishing company also publish other high-quality magazines, books, specials and newspapers for third parties. "I work exclusively with journalists: that is our unique selling point. Nobody wants to read commercial texts that use all kinds of superlatives."

Kingstreet

In recent years, while working as a journalist and editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Den Haag Centraal (DHC) and as BOIDR editor-in-chief, Simeone was already regularly accosted by people from international backgrounds about the lack of a glossy about The Hague in English. "Many cannot read Dutch or can read only a little, but want to stay informed," he said.

She went to investigate and found that no one was responding to this need yet. "You do have a magazine for diplomats, but that's all. The name was still a tricky one, so I started brainstorming with former editor-in-chief Casper Postmaa of The Hague Central and strategist Vincent Seeber, director of advertising agency TBWA\NEBOKO, which devised many well-known campaigns. From there, the name Kingstreet soon rolled out. Street stands for a sense of connection and community. I also wanted a catchy name that you don't easily forget."

Europol

She points out that international organisations account for 10 per cent of The Hague's economy. "All the more reason to publish a magazine aimed at this large group of people. Besides culture, business, lifestyle and gastronomy, Kingstreet devotes attention to interviews with pivotal figures in the international community, such as the Flemish director of Europol, Catherine De Bolle. "She talks about the European police organisation based in The Hague, and of course our mayor Jan van Zanen, as head of the international city of peace and justice, is also in the magazine," says the publisher, who puts together this magazine and all her other publications, from children's books to special editions for anniversaries, in special places.

Igluu

"Every three months or so, the publishing house settles down in a different location in the city. We started in hotel voco The Hague, then moved to Hotel Corona and soon we will move to Igluu. That is a special meeting, work and conference concept in the Zeestraat," said Simeone, who not only wants to publish surprising content, but also thinks a fresh location adds something. "The response we are getting to this is great." Kingstreet will be on sale from Friday 29 November in the well-known bookshops in The Hague.

The Telegraph November 2024