Arjen Lubach

Lubach is a great-grandson of Mayor Obbe Norbruis of Schoonebeek and Zuilen (1895–1970).

He and his two brothers were raised outside of Lutjegast.

Lubach felt like an Outsider because his family did not speak the Gronings Dialect.

He describes his younger self as "complex" and a "kid who stayed indoors".

Although he was bullied, he considers his youth to have been enjoyable.

His family was religious: the children went to the Protestant primary school School met de Bijbel ("School with the Bible"), they prayed every day, read from the Bible (which was used to find a solution to pretty much any problem) and went to church every Sunday.

Lubach was 11 years old when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She died a year later.

The loss of his mother, with whom he was very close, left a great impact on him and increased his doubts about religion.

After primary school, he went to the Maartenscollege in Haren.

The choice was made in part because his father had promised to raise the children religiously on his mother's deathbed.

At the Maartenscollege, Lubach met his first great love, on whom many of the fictitious characters in his later work were based.

Lubach went on to study Spanish at the University of Groningen.

When he lost his religion, he concluded that life was pointless, which temporarily led him into an "existential crisis".

Later he decided to fill this void by developing his own personal sense of meaning.

Lubach then quit his studies and worked as a taxi driver in Groningen for several months, following that by working as a harbourmaster on Vlieland.

He subsequently commenced studying philosophy.

During the second year, when he also studied Swedish, he met Janine Abbring.

With her he made a spontaneous trip to Denmark, where they wrote their first hit single.

Arjen Henrik Lubach (born 22 October 1979) is a Dutch comedian, author, music producer and television presenter.

Lubach was born on 22 October 1979 in a hospital in Groningen.

He was raised in Lutjegast, where he lived until age 15.

Lubach's parents were both lawyers and his father was a professor at the University of Groningen.

In 2001, Lubach became part of the theatre fellowship Op Sterk Water (with Roel van Velzen and others), with whom he performed at, amongst others, Lowlands, Hard Gelach, Laughing Matters and in theatres in the Netherlands and Belgium.

In 2003, Lubach got a late night programme as Arjen L at 3FM, at first for the NPS and later for the VARA, and he could be heard as the sidekick of Claudia de Breij and Giel Beelen.

Since 2005, Lubach – together with Edo Schoonbeek and Pieter Jouke – has maintained the comedy website Buro Renkema.

Some of their items were shown at Pauw & Witteman, Koppensnellers and De Wereld Draait Door.

In August 2006, Lubach's debut novel Mensen die ik ken die mijn moeder hebben gekend ("People I Know Who Knew My Mother") appeared, and in April 2008 his novel Bastaardsuiker ("Brown Sugar"), both at Meulenhoff publishing.

In 2007, Lubach did a weekly contribution for the VPRO in the radio programme De Avonden on Radio 6.

In June 2007, ABN AMRO threatened to sue them, because they created a parody of ABN AMRO online banking.

In the summers of 2009, 2011 and 2013, Lubach performed together with comedian Tim Kamps at the itinerant festival De Parade with the show Het Monica da Silva Trio.

In March 2011, Lubach's new novel Lubach Magnus was published by Podium, followed by the thriller IV in 2013, which was nominated for the Gouden Strop.

Furthermore, he writes for the VPRO radio, columns for CJP magazine, opinion pieces for NRC Next and scenarios for film and theatre.

Lubach worked as a freelance textwriter for radio and television, including Vara Laat, Koppensnellers and De Wereld Draait Door.

In theatre season 2011 and 2012 they played their show in theatres throughout the Netherlands and Belgium.

Lubach started his radio career at OOG Radio, the local broadcasting organisation of the city of Groningen.

As a volunteer, he presented a daily programme for two years.

Between 2014 and 2021 he was the host of the weekly news satire television show Zondag met Lubach.

As of 21 February 2022, he is the host of a new show on NPO 1, De Avondshow met Arjen Lubach.

In June 2014, he left Op Sterk Water to present a talkshow.