Esther Op de Beek is an assistant professor in Modern Dutch Literature at Leiden University. She obtained her PhD at Radboud University Nijmegen, within the NWO-funded research project The Best Intentions, Literary Criticism in the Netherlands 1945-2005. Her research examines modern Dutch travel literature, literary criticism, and the circulation of happiness narratives in literature. She is a member of the editorial board of Nederlandse Letterkunde and delivered Cees Nooteboom. Avenue – 15 jaar wereldliteratuur (2013) and, together with Jos Muijres, Op de hielen: Opstellen over recente Nederlanse en Vlaamse literatuur (2014).