Paul and Elisabeth Lucie Baeten, brother and sister: ‘She is now more famous than I ever was, but there is not an ounce of jealousy’

Paul

“Elisabeth and I have been doing the same job for a while, but we only recently worked together for the first time. We wrote together a drama series for VRT and Streamz, which is now in full production. That actually went very well, as I expected. The advantage of working with Elisabeth is that I had the courage to blindly trust that things would be finished properly. I know she will continue until the end result is perfect. By the way, our writing process is very similar. I also only sit down at my computer when I know what I want to say. My sister has that too. We think the typical writer’s cliché that you should just sit on your office chair until ‘it’ comes is nonsense. No, above all you have to live, and when your story is ready, you start writing. A good deadline helps us with this.

“In previous interviews, Elisabeth has said again and again that she actually did not know me as a child, due to the large age difference between us – we are nine years apart. In her world I didn’t exist, so to speak. But of course that’s because she was just young. I do have very vivid memories of her baby and toddler years. I played with her a lot, but apparently she forgot all about it. (laughs) Today that age difference no longer matters, and my sister is even one of my best friends. I also have a great bond with her husband, I really see him as a brother. At their wedding I said during my speech: ‘Hopefully they stay together forever, because I would hate to say goodbye to Elisabeth.’

“Our parents divorced when I was 16 and Elisabeth was 7. That break scarred me, I admit. After the divorce, in a certain sense I wanted to take over the father’s role at home. I felt like it was my job to take care of everyone, and that protective reflex is still in me. So I once got angry at Knack called because they wanted to move my sister’s column to a less attractive place in the magazine. I would never do something like that for myself. It is interesting to see how Elisabeth sometimes also protects me. That is a new evolution. If I write a book or series that gets criticized by a journalist, I’m pretty sure she won’t give that journalist too much sunshine. I don’t find that an unpleasant change. (laughs)

“I have always valued my sister very highly, higher than myself. I’m not stupid, I know I can make an analysis and write a text, but my sister surpasses me across the board: in terms of knowledge, insight and memory. I was always convinced that she could become whatever she wanted, including a surgeon or a lawyer. I was happy that I could get into film school, but when she started studying Language and Literature at university, I was even angry with her for a while. Given her capabilities, I thought that was too easy of a university challenge. But now I am especially happy and proud that she ended up so well.

“The media world is a challenging sector. When my sister became a screenwriter and writer, I knew from my own experience that less pleasant moments awaited her. I know what it’s like to get a zero star review and not everyone will like you all the time. I also knew that I wouldn’t be able to protect her from those less pleasant experiences. And yet I sometimes think: be a little tougher on me, tear down my book. I don’t read those reviews anyway. Just be a little nice to my sister.

“Both in our work and in life, my sister and I are driven by a great sense of justice. I am not blessed with the great talent to operate on people for life-threatening ailments, but I can write. So I try to make myself useful through my pen and point out where I feel things are going wrong in society or in politics. It’s a bit like that Arnold Schwarzenegger documentary: ‘Be useful.’ Commit to something! I truly believe that’s what life comes down to. I think her Instagram character Katrien from Politics PR is smart. Kick them in the ballsI sometimes think when I see a video.

“Recently someone approached me on the street and asked if I was Elisabeth’s brother. I immediately asked my sister: have they ever asked you that question in the opposite direction? “Literally my whole life, until six months ago,” she replied. Elisabeth is now more famous than I have ever been, but there is not an ounce of jealousy in our bond. I wish her all the best, and she me.”

Elizabeth

“I was his biggest fan at the beginning of Paul’s writing career. When he published his first novel, I went with Mom to all his readings. I was completely impressed by what I saw there. I looked up to my brother for a long time, not realizing at the time that this was perhaps partly because I also wanted to do something in that industry myself. His books were neatly arranged next to each other in a prominent place in my room. I’ve read them all too, of course!

“I quite literally owe the fact that I am now a screenwriter and writer to my brother. Before I got this job, I did less than enjoyable work for years. I had a communications job at the city of Antwerp for a while, but I was really not happy there. At a certain point, on the advice of a friend, I started writing something, which eventually became a screenplay. I then sent the pilot to Paul, who immediately said: ‘Hey, this isn’t that bad at all. This is even good!’ He in turn had Tom Lenaerts read that text, who was apparently also enthusiastic. And I’ve been a screenwriter ever since. That’s how it really happened.

“Paul also gave me a push in the back for my column. A few years ago, a friend came up with the idea of ​​writing a column in which I shared lessons for life. With that idea I went to Paul, who presented it to the editor-in-chief of Knack has presented. So it is very much because of my brother that I came into this world.

“Paul has been my regular reader for years; columns and scenarios always pass him first. My columns for Knack For example, I kept wandering around in the WhatsApp group that I have with Paul and my friend. My partner immediately responded that he thought it was a funny text, Paul that he thought it was a funny text and that he had a few points of criticism. Which of course I dutifully implemented. (laughs) Conversely, it happens much less often that Paul asks me for feedback. But yes, he has of course been in the business for a while, so it must have something to do with that.

“I don’t think we come from a typical media family, but from a world-conscious family. There were no blinders in our house. I used to talk to my mother about women’s rights in my teenage years, there were always newspapers on the table at our house and every evening The news got up at seven o’clock and there was silence for 45 minutes – much to my annoyance. CDs and books were also plentiful. But you know what I’m even more grateful for? Family gatherings and my mom’s friends coming to visit. As a child, there was nothing I loved more than sitting at the table with the adults and just listening. Paul loved that too, he told me later. We loved analyzing how everyone talked, how an argument was formed. And now we’ve both made making up dialogues our job. I am convinced that the basis for this lies in our childhood.

“Do we sometimes talk or discuss politics with each other? Not really. We come out with our opinions because it’s part of our job as writers, but inside we prefer to keep it peaceful. I also never like it when many additional questions are asked after the publication of a column or a video by Katrien from Politiek PR. No, I think, this is what I have to say about it. Despite the profession we both have, both Paul and I are real conflict avoiders. We don’t like discussion or debate at all, we just want serenity.” (laughs)