Since the nineteenth century there is a rich tradition of formal innovation in Dutch literature, especially in the form of experimental literature. Traces of the experiment can be found in important oeuvres, but lesser known authors and genres can also enhance our understanding of literary innovation. The research into the experimental tradition still has its blind spots, such as the sociology of experimental authorship, cognitive dimensions of readings experimental literature, international relations with other literatures and intermedial relations with the arts. This project wants to improve our understanding of the literary experiment in Dutch literature in that respect, with a special emphasis on the sociological position of the contemporary experimental writer.