English Books & Literature

Tijdens de maakavonden van Meet Je Stad soldeer je je eigen meetkastje dat temperatuur, luchtvochtigheid en fijnstof\* kan meten. Het solderen is geschikt voor iedereen: van beginner tot expert! Daarnaast bieden we begeleiding, dus hoef je niet bang te zijn dat je er niet uit komt. Ter deelname betaal je €15 voor de materialen. Vaak lukt het niet om al het soldeerwerk binnen één avond af te krijgen, maar dit is geen probleem; tijdens onze volgende maakavonden kun je langskomen om je werk af te maken. Inmiddels zijn er in de stad Utrecht nu zo’n 150 mensen die hun eigen meetkastje hebben gesoldeerd. Als je kastje af is wordt hij geregistreerd en kun je hem bij jou thuis ophangen/neerzetten. Hierbij krijg je instructies zodat je de juiste locatie kunt kiezen en je metingen zo betrouwbaar mogelijk zijn. Als het dan eenmaal hangt kun je via de kaart op de [website van Meet Je Stad](https://meetjestad.net/index3.php?loc=Tb) bijhouden welke metingen je kastje neemt: zo kun je bijvoorbeeld zien op welke momenten het bij jou het warmst is en vergelijkingen maken met waardes van andere meetkastjes. Dat kan door middel van [deze tool](https://mjs-datavisualisation-fez7kynngq-ez.a.run.app/) die je helpt om grafieken te maken. Dan kan je er achter komen hoe jouw omgeving ervoor staat in vergelijking met de rest van de stad. Meet Je Stad organiseert ook kennisavonden met gastsprekers die vertellen over hitte, fijnstof en andere burgerinitiatieven in de stad. Dit zijn ook gelijk geschikte momenten voor deelnemers om met elkaar in discussie te gaan over hun metingen en ondervindingen. Zo hopen we een netwerk van betrokken inwoners te creëren en meer te weten te komen over de milieuomstandigheden in de stad! *\*De fijnstofsensor is optioneel en kost 20 euro extra. Indien je deze bij je meetkastje wilt moet je deze via een draad met een stroombron binnen 15 meter kunnen verbinden.* **Organisatie:** Milieucentrum Utrecht (MCU) in samenwerking met de Makerscommunity HaHaHo. **Locatie:** Bibliotheek Neude, Huis van Actief Burgerschap (begane grond) **Kosten:** 15 euro voor materiaalkosten, 20 euro extra voor fijnstofsensor. (Meet-up suggereert bij het aanmaken van een account dat een betaald abonnement vereist is. Dit is niet zo, op de pagina waar gevraagd wordt om een abonnement te kiezen staat rechts bovenin de optie "Ga door met het gratis plan".) *Bij te weinig aanmeldingen kan de workshop afgelast worden.*

Hello everyone! Hope you are very well. Welcome to our Workshops at 4bid, a great way to get a first-hand introduction or deepening into the art of bookbinding and printmaking. All of our workshops are taught by practicing artists and craftspeople, in an open and friendly atmosphere. Bookbinding Workshops: -1.Introduction to Bookbinding, Pamphlets; Stab Bindings; Concertinas -2.Single sheet Binding -3.Exposed Back Binding -4.coptic binding DESCRIPTION Suitable for beginners. During this workshop participants will learn how to fold, cut and manipulate paper, and will master three versatile book structures – the pamphlet, the concertina, and the Japanese stab binding – which can be used to present work, to personalise and give as gifts, or as the basis for artists’ books. On completion of the workshop, participants will leave with a set of their own books and the skills to make more at home using minimal equipment. Introduction to Bookbinding 1 is the first in a three-part series of introductory bookbinding workshops at 4bid. You are encouraged, but not required, to take all three workshops in order. Participants to Introduction to Bookbinding 2 will benefit from techniques learned in '1,' and likewise participants to '3' will benefit from techniques learned in '2.' For a complete beginner, taking all three workshops in order will give you a good foundation in bookbinding. Introduction to Bookbinding 1: Pamphlets, Stab Bindings & Concertinas Price: donation between 25-30 concessions available- RSVP to reserve a place You can pay with a regular transfer to: \> \> 4bid Stichting NL71TRIO0320257452\. Please send us a message when complete\. Payment can be made on site too, in agreement with 4bid gallery via mail. 4bidgallery@gmail.com

We are excited to announce our next Utrecht JUG meetup on **April 20, 2026,** hosted at the **Kamer van Koophandel.** Join us for an evening focused on the future of software development, where AI-driven, agentic systems are becoming an integral part of how we build and operate applications. In the first session, **Soham Dasgupta** will demonstrate how AI agents can power autonomous DevSecOps pipelines; from detecting vulnerabilities to generating fixes and validating them through CI. This hands-on talk offers a practical look at building self-driving security workflows with tools like GitHub Copilot. After the break **Raphael de Lio** explores how memory works in both humans and AI agents. By connecting insights from cognitive science to real-world engineering challenges, this session sheds light on how to design more reliable and context-aware AI systems. Join us for an evening of practical insight, new ideas, and great conversations. Please join us and RSVP! Because of the limited number of seats, please keep your RSVP up-to-date, so we can welcome someone else if you can't make it. *** ## Timeschedule 17:00 Doors open 18:00 Food & Drinks 19:00 Agentic DevSecOps: Autonomous Security Pipelines with AI Agents & Agentic Workflows by Soham Dasgupta 20:00 Break 20:15 The Anatomy of Memory in Humans and AI Agents by Raphael de Lio 21:15 Drinks # Giveaway 1 JetBrains licence *** # Talks ## Agentic DevSecOps: Autonomous Security Pipelines with AI Agents & Agentic Workflows What if your security pipeline could find vulnerabilities, file issues, write fixes, run CI, and request human approval — all autonomously? In this hands-on session, we start with a polyglot microservices repo that has zero security tooling and progressively build a fully autonomous agentic DevSecOps pipeline using GitHub Copilot. You'll see how AI agents perform repo-wide security assessments, how custom instructions shape agent behavior across the SDLC, and how agentic workflows chain dependency scanning, SAST, and test coverage checks into a self-driving loop: scan → auto-create issues → Coding Agent fixes → CI validates → AI code review → human approves. We'll also build custom Copilot agents for IaC security scanning and use GitHub's agentic workflow capabilities to generate recurring security reports — no human trigger required. Walk away with a working, repeatable pattern for embedding autonomous AI agents and agentic workflows into every stage of your DevSecOps lifecycle. *** # The Anatomy of Memory in Humans and AI Agents Artificial intelligence does not need to copy the human brain to advance, yet cognitive science still offers useful guidance. As agentic applications grow, understanding how humans store and retrieve information can help us design agents that act with greater context and reliability. This talk connects human memory to the practical challenges of building AI agents with memory. We will review the main types of memory in the brain, revisit a landmark case in neuroscience, and relate these ideas to how large language models process information. We will also look at the real difficulties of taking agents to production, where choosing what to store and how to retrieve it becomes the core challenge. Participants will learn: \- How insights from cognitive science can guide agent design \- The key forms of human memory and their relevance to AI \- What neuroscience reveals about the limits of large language models \- The main obstacles of deploying agents with memory in real systems \- How our work at Redis led to an open\-source\, production\-ready agent memory server \- Practical ways to improve memory in AI agents This session offers both conceptual clarity and concrete tools for building more capable agentic systems. *** # Speakers ## Soham Dasgupta Soham is a technology enthusiast working at Microsoft as a Solution Architect, with over 19 years of experience in software programming, designing, and architecture which includes on-prem, cloud-native applications, and web-based conversational application design. *** ## Raphael de Lio Raphael De Lio is an AI and Software Engineer at Redis with over eight years of experience spanning multiple industries and countries. He is passionate about distributed systems and specializes in Java, Kotlin, and building scalable, high-performance software with a growing focus on reliable, distributed agentic systems. What drives him is bridging the gap between software engineering and AI engineering, bringing the hard-won knowledge of building distributed, scalable systems into the world of AI where those foundations are often missing but matter most. Originally from Brazil, Raphael spent six years in Portugal before making the Netherlands his home, where he also helps organize the Dutch Kotlin User Group. He loves blending code, community, and creativity to help developers build better systems faster, and with a lot more fun along the way.

Time for our biweekly peer Satsang gathering! This is an open, equal and low-key gathering for spiritual seekers from all walks of life to get together, talk, feel connected and grow. The gathering will last for about two hours. Bring questions, thoughts, or just your presence. We'll see what unfolds once we're there. If you're interested but can't make the currently indicated time, the event is full or you have any other questions, get in touch with me at thijshugenholtz@gmail.com and we'll see what we can do! Location: Buurtcentrum Hart van Noord, Trumanlaan 60 Utrecht but the entrance is opposite Geallieerdenlaan 24

If you are living in The Netherlands, by now, you may well have noticed the amount of open water. If you enjoy cycling in the city, you may wish to feel safer as you navigate the bridges and canals. And you may also want to get ready for visiting the beach, pools or the many lakes this summer. Learning how to swim takes approx 1 year and it all starts with the very first lesson. New comers enroll via our website and pay € 30,50, this is the first lesson and a goody bag. After the class you agree with the personal swim coach how to continue to obtain your final objectives. Enrolling is only possible via [www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl ](https://www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl/)hence a rvsp via meetup is not enough.

A great ride along the Vecht and Gein rivers. You will love this route. Please ride single file along the winding river as there can be cars around each corner. **Route:** https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/441606271 GPX: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-T_pT_GH3QKSFcH1WWgfArvxSdAkVzO/view?usp=sharing **Afterwards:** Drinks at Polder https://maps.app.goo.gl/tbt5DDG7YLU3uWvaA **Rules:** \- Download the route to your cycling computer so you can always find your way home \- Make sure to arrive on time \- Before you ride\, decide as a group how you want to ride: you can split up in a fast and a slow group or stay together\, but make sure to discuss what pace you are going to ride and whether you are going to wait if someone is slower than the group\, or not\.

Samen sporten, gewoon voor de fun, elke week een divers programma, met allerlei verschillende sporten. Je hoeft niet de beste te zijn, maar wel zin hebben om samen te spelen en te leren. Tijdens een training doen we verschillende spelletjes, basketbal, voetbal. volleybal, spikebal, honkbal. Kom je ook, de bal ligt bij jou!! Eerste keer meedoen is altijd gratis, daarna kan je beslissen of dit voor jou is, of niet!! Dus kom een keer proberen. Kan je niet op deze dag, we sporten ook op andere dagen nl Zondag om 9:30 of Maandag om 20:30 Stuur mij een berichtje als je op die dagen een keer wil proberen! The amount of people rsvp'd to this game doesn't match the real number of people at the event, as Meetup is only used for promotion purposes.

#This meetup is around a third-party organizer (Focus Filmtheater): you can either purchase your ticket online or right before the session. **Seats are numbered**# **Title**: L'engloutie **Language**: French **Subtitles**: English **Length**: 98 min **Director**: Louise Hémon **More info**: https://www.focusarnhem.nl/agenda/lengloutie-2/ **Ticket link**: https://www.focusarnhem.nl/tickets/143042/ **Synopsis**: On a stormy night in 1899, Aimée, a young republican schoolteacher, arrives in a snowbound hamlet on the remote edges of the French Alps. Despite the villagers’ mistrust, she’s determined to shed light on what she sees as their dark beliefs. As she gradually becomes part of the community, a sensual vertigo begins to grow within her. Until the day an avalanche claims the life of a first mountain dweller. **How it works**: I will be at Focus around 18:30, where we can meet before the movie starts. You can message me to find us. Screening starts at 19:00. After the movie, we can have a drink together. Hope to see you soon!

Fear of Public Speaking? Nervous about professional communication? Want to practice leadership? Looking for a new community of friendly locals and expats to hang out with? Join a meeting of Deventer Toastmasters! **What is Toastmasters?** Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that’s been empowering people to become confident communicators and leaders since 1924. Worldwide, there are more than 266,000 members in over 14,200 clubs in 150 countries. In the Netherlands, there are over **40 clubs** across the country, including those in major cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam. This network of clubs and their learn-by-doing program is sure to help you improve. You can visit Toastmasters clubs as a guest or become a member. **What does a meeting look like?** Some of the members give short, prepared speeches, which other club members later evaluate. A typical meeting also includes short impromptu speeches. In this improvisation part of the meeting, everybody gets a chance to speak, including guests, if they wish. We usually end the evening with a drink at the bar. **How do I become a guest at a meeting?** It’s easy! Simply RSVP for one of our upcoming meetings here on Meetup to let us know you’re coming. If you have any questions, contact us at [englishdeventertoastmasters@gmail.com](englishdeventertoastmasters@gmail.com)[.](http://utrechttoastmasters@gmail.com./) If you visit and like us, we can talk about membership! **Additional information** Our cozy venue has a maximum capacity of 30 people - perfect for an engaging meeting. Please be on time to grab a seat and mingle before the speeches begin! Unsure how to find us? See photo of location below.

Expand your visibility. Join a casual online hour to share you, your brand and business, and learn more about other business owners, locally and globally. Every session will close with gratitude and a mini creative activity, so have a pen and paper, tablet, or something available with which to write/create/draw. This usually occurs twice monthly. **RSVP here via EventBrite [here](https://www.eventbrite.nl/e/you-and-your-brand-a-casual-networking-hour-tickets-1984283125243).** *-* *\*\*\*The only requirements are a minimum age of 18 years old,* *and **at least three attendees** to make it a worthwhile hour for everyone.\*\*\**

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Welcome, readers! Our April read is **_Martyr!_ by Kaveh Akbar.** The story follows a young Iranian American poet grappling with grief, addiction, and the aching question of what makes a life meaningful. Drawn into an unexpected friendship with a terminally ill artist, he begins to confront faith, love, and the seduction of self-destruction. Lyrical, darkly funny, and emotionally piercing, the novel wrestles with beauty and despair in equal measure. It’s a story about longing—to be seen, to be forgiven, and to matter. Looking forward to discussing with everyone! We will meet at Zaftig Brewing Co in their event room in the back. We are welcome to bring in our own food, but **drinks must be purchased at the bar.** Happy reading! 📖

Posting this early because seemingly all Sundays in May are holidays or busy! I picked a shorter thriller that's hopefully a fast read/listen. [Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3458940) Location: Grandview Cafe, *1455 W. 3rd Ave*, Columbus, OH 43212 [Menu](https://www.grandviewcafe.com/menu) Book summary: Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He's got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy -- despite the fact that he's suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he's not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he's almost sure he sees her being kidnapped.

Join us for our April Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Stop Me if You've Heard This One](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/stopmeifyouveheardthisone)* by [Kristen Arnett](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/about) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Let’s meet and share our thoughts about Carson McCullers’ novella, The Ballad of The Sad Café.

This month we’ll be reading Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. Feel free to come even if you don’t finish the book!

Love getting lost in a good book? [The Book Loft](https://www.bookloft.com/) of German Village is an iconic independent bookstore packed with hard-to-find literary treasures! This isn’t your run-of-the-mill bookstore; it’s a 32-room literary wonderland that would make even the most seasoned bibliophile’s head spin (one of the largest in the country)! **MEET**: We'll gather outside the storefront and then start browsing... **DESSERT**: We'll grab some famous macaroons to start our foodie tour. [Pistacia Vera](https://www.pistaciavera.com/) is a delicious bakery and cafe in the German Village. This charming shop is especially known for its classic macarons. **HAPPY HOUR**: Italian drinks and bites at [Cento's happy hour](https://centogermanvillage.com/menus/). **PARKING**: Street parking all around here. Check the parking time limit. The bookstore and the foodie stops are all on 3rd Street within 4 blocks on the same side of the street.

"The SOB is a ballet dancer. He’s the best ballet dancer that ever lived, and if I get a good chance I’ll kill him with my bare hands." - W.C. Fields In *City Lights*, Chaplin's Little Tramp meets a blind girl selling flowers who mistakes him for a wealthy man. When he learns that an operation may restore her sight, he sets off to earn the money she needs to have the surgery. He also befriends an alcoholic millionaire who only recognizes him when he is drunk. When the blind girl and her grandmother fall behind in the rent and face eviction, he tries working and even enters a boxing competition to raise the money they need. Regarded as Chaplin's masterpiece, *City Lights* has been ranked on more than seventeen "100 greatest movies of all time" lists. Orson Welles cited it as his favorite picture. *City Lights* is available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBOMax, Tubi and PlutoTV. The Columbus Library lists three copies on blu-ray and eight copies on DVD. Watch the movie on your own, then join us upstairs at East Market to discuss the film. If you want more, *Unknown Chaplin* is a three-episode lost-footage documentary available on Youtube. It covers his time on *City Lights* beginning at the twenty-six minute mark of episode two: https://youtu.be/f8960Uc15hI?t=1558