The Multatuli Prize (in Dutch: Multatuliprijs) is a Dutch literary prize that is given every year to an author for exemplary writing in

Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. '' Afrikaan ...

Background

The prizes were started in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. The prize is named after the acclaimed Dutch author Eduard Douwes Dekker (better known by his pen name

Multatuli Eduard Douwes Dekker (2 March 182019 February 1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli (from Latin ''multa tulī'', "I have suffered much"), was a Dutch writer best known for his satirical novel '' Max Havelaar'' (1860), which denounced the ...

) and is considered to be one of the most prestigious prizes in

Dutch literature Dutch language literature () comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers. Dutch-language literature is the product of the Netherlands, ...

Eligibility

The nominated books must have been published between May 1 of the previous year and April 30 of the entry year.

Notable winners

Past winners of the prize include: * 2002 - Paul Claes ''De Kameleon'' * 2001 -

Jeroen Brouwers Jeroen Godfried Marie Brouwers (30 April 1940 – 11 May 2022) was a Dutch writer. From 1964 to 1976 Brouwers worked as an editor at Manteau publishers in Brussels. In 1964 he made his literary debut with ''Het mes op de keel'' (''The Knife t ...

''Geheime Kamers'' * 2000 -

Kees 't Hart Kees or KEES may refer to: * Kees (given name) * Kees (surname) * KEES, an American AM radio station licensed to Gladewater, Texas See also * Cees (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

''De revue'' * 1999 -

Marie Kessels Marie Kessels (born Nederweert, 11 December 1954) is a Dutch poet and prose writer. She received the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prijs in 2009 for ''Ruw''. In 1999, she received the Multatuli Prize The Multatuli Prize (in Dutch: Multatuliprijs) is ...

''Ongemakkelijke portretten'' * 1998 - Dirkje Kuik ''Broholm'' * 1997 -

Maria Stahlie Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

''Honderd deuren'' * 1996 - Rascha Peper ''Russisch blauw'' * 1995 -

Tonnus Oosterhoff Tonnus Oosterhoff (Leiden, 18 March 1953) is a Dutch poet and writer. Biography Born in Leiden, Tonnus Oosterhoff spent most of life in the Dutch province of Groningen. He studied Dutch literature and linguistics at the University of Groningen. ...

''Het dikke hart'' * 1994 - Nelleke Noordervliet ''De naam van de vader'' * 1993 -

Harry Mulisch Harry Kurt Victor Mulisch ( ; 29 July 1927 – 30 October 2010) was a Dutch writer. He wrote more than 80 novels, plays, essays, poems, and philosophical reflections. Mulisch's works have been translated into over thirty languages. Along with W ...

De ontdekking van de hemel ''The Discovery of Heaven'' () is a 1992 novel by Dutch writer Harry Mulisch. It is considered Mulisch's masterpiece and was voted best book in the Dutch language in a 2007 poll among the readers of ''NRC Handelsblad''. A 2001 film adaptation ...

'' * 1992 -

Dirk van Weelden A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...

''Mobilhome'' * 1991 -

Marita Mathijsen Marita Theodora Catharina Mathijsen-Verkooijen (born 8 August 1944 in Belfeld) is professor of modern Dutch literature at the University of Amsterdam, with her speciality as the literature of the nineteenth century in the Netherlands. Mathijsen ...

''De geest van de dichter'' * 1990 - Marjolijn Februari ''De zonen van het uitzicht'' * 1989 -

Armando Armando may refer to: * Armando (given name) * Armando (artist) (1929–2018), the name used by Dutch artist Herman Dirk van Dodeweerd * Armando (producer) Armando Gallop (sometimes written as Armando Gallup) (February 12, 1970 – December 17, ...

''De straat en het struikgewas'' * 1988 -

Stefan Hertmans Stefan Hertmans (born 1951 in Ghent, Belgium) is a Flanders, Flemish Belgian writer. He was head of a study centre at University College Ghent and affiliated researcher of the Ghent University. He won the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prijs in 2002 for th ...

''Gestolde wolken'' * 1987 -

H.C. ten Berge Johannes Cornelis (Hans) ten Berge (born 24 December 1938, in Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditiona ...

''Het geheim van een opgewekt humeur'' * 1986 -

A.F.Th. van der Heijden Adrianus Franciscus Theodorus van der Heijden (born 15 October 1951) is a Dutch writer. Van der Heijden was born in Geldrop, and studied psychology and philosophy in Nijmegen. After moving to Amsterdam he turned to writing. His first two books a ...

''De gevarendriehoek'' * 1985 -

Cees Nooteboom Cees Nooteboom (; born 31 July 1933) is a Dutch novelist, poet and journalist. After the attention received by his novel ''Rituelen'' (''Rituals'', 1980), which received the Pegasus Prize, it was the first of his novels to be translated into an ...

''In Nederland'' * 1984 -

''Machthebbers'' * 1983 - K. Schippers ''Beweegredenen'' * 1982 -

Hugo Brandt Corstius Hugo Brandt Corstius (29 August 1935 – 28 February 2014) was a Dutch author, known for his achievements in both literature and science. In 1970, he was awarded a PhD on the subject of computational linguistics. He was employed at the Mathemat ...

Opperlandse taal- & letterkunde ''Opperlandse taal- & letterkunde'' (written in 1981) is a book dedicated to peculiarities of the Dutch language. It was written by "Battus", one of many pseudonyms used by Hugo Brandt Corstius. The title means "Upperlandic Language and Linguisti ...

'' * 1981 -

Doeschka Meijsing Maria Johanna Meijsing (21 October 1947 – 30 January 2012) was a Dutch novelist. She won the AKO Literatuurprijs in 2000 for her novel '' De tweede man'', and in 2008 the Ferdinand Bordewijk Prijs for her novel ''Over de liefde''. Doeschka Mei ...

''Tijger'' * 1980 -

''Het verzonkene'' * 1979 -

Renate Rubinstein Renate Ida Rubinstein (November 16, 1929 in Berlin – November 23, 1990 in Amsterdam) was a German-Dutch writer, journalist and columnist. Biography Rubinstein was born in Berlin, Germany, to a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother. Followi ...

''Niets te verliezen en toch bang'' * 1978 -

Gerrit Krol Gerrit Krol (1 August 1934 − 24 November 2013) was a Dutch author, essayist and writer. Krol was born in Groningen (city), Groningen. He studied mathematics and worked with Royal Dutch Shell and some of its operating units as computer program ...

''De weg naar Sacramento'' * 1977 -

Louis Ferron Louis Ferron (born Karl Heinz Beckering; 4 February 1942 – 26 August 2005) was a Dutch novelist and poet. Biography Louis Ferron was born in Leiden out of an adulterous relationship between a married German soldier and a waitress from Haarlem ...

''De keisnijder van Fichtenwald'' * 1976 -

Bob den Uyl Jacob (Bob) den Uyl (27 March 1930, Rotterdam – 13/14 February, 1992 Rotterdam) was a Dutch writer of mostly short stories. His writing style is mostly ironic and observant. The most prominent theme in his work is the purposelessness and absurd ...

''Gods wegen zijn duister en zelden aangenaam'' * 1975 -

Maarten 't Hart Maarten 't Hart (born 25 November 1944 in Maassluis) is a Dutch writer. Trained as a biologist in zoology and ethology at the Leiden University, he taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s, having made his debut as a ...

''Het vrome volk'' * 1974 -

Anton Koolhaas Anthonie "Anton" Koolhaas (16 November 1912 – 16 December 1992) was a Dutch journalist, novelist, and scenario writer. Biography Anthonie Koolhaas was born on 16 November 1912 in Utrecht, Netherlands. He was the son of Teunis Koolhaas and Trij ...

''Vanwege een tere huid'' * 1973 - Jan Arends * 1972 - Louis Paul Boon ''

Pieter Daens Pieter is a male given name, the Dutch form of Peter. The name has been one of the most common names in the Netherlands for centuries, but since the mid-twentieth century its popularity has dropped steadily, from almost 3000 per year in 1947 ...

References

{{reflist Academic awards Dutch literary awards Awards established in 1972 1972 establishments in the Netherlands Awards disestablished in 2003 2003 disestablishments in the Netherlands