Miep Diekmann (26 January 1925 – 9 July 2017) was a Dutch writer of children's literature.

Early life

Diekmann was born in 1925 in

Assen Assen () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in ...

. Her father worked in the military and as a result the family moved several times: Diekmann moved to Kampen in 1928, to

Vreeland Vreeland () is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It was a part of the former municipality of Loenen. Since 2011 it has been part of the new formed municipality of Stichtse Vecht. It is located on the river Vecht, about 2 km nort ...

in 1930 and in 1934 to

Willemstad Willemstad ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and largest city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that is a Countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the cap ...

Curaçao Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela. Curaçao includ ...

, where she lived until 1939.

Career

Dutch Caribbean

Her early life in

would become the source of inspiration for several children's books, including ''De boten van Brakkeput'' (1956), ''Padu is gek'' (1957) and ''De dagen van Olim'' (1971). In 1956 she won the Kinderboek van het jaar literary award for her book ''De boten van Brakkeput'' and the story was turned into a

radio play Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

in 1959. Together with Alice van Romondt and Liesbet ten Houten she helped found

Aruba Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...

n publishing company Charuba in 1984 in cooperation with Dutch publishing company

Leopold Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name), including a list of people named Leopold or Léopold * Leopold (surname) Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold B ...

. Between 1981 and 1988 she stayed in Aruba for several months a year to coach Aruban writers. Some of the writers she coached include

Sonia Garmers Sonia Garmers (9 January 1933 – 18 March 2025) was a writer from Curaçao. Life and career Garmers wrote various books both in Papiamento and in Dutch. Garmers published her first book in Papiamento in 1955. Her first book written in Dutch ...

, Richard Piternella, Frances Kelly, Josette Daal, Desiree Correa and

Diana Lebacs Diana Melinda Lebacs (12 September 1947 – 11 July 2022) was a Curaçaoan educator, actress, and author, most known for her children's literature. She wrote in both Papiamento and Dutch. In 1976 she received the (Silver Stylus) award, one of ...

Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic

Diekmann traveled to

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

during the 1960s and 1970s to help various Czech authors. In 1981, she won the Boekensleutel award together with Czech writer and poet Dagmar Hilarová for the book ''Ik heb geen naam''. Both were awarded the

Janusz Korczak Literary Prize Janusz is a masculine Polish given name. It is also the shortened form of January and Januarius. People * Janusz Akermann (born 1957), Polish painter * Janusz Bardach, Polish gulag survivor and physician * Janusz Bielański, Roman Catholic pri ...

by the Polish National Section of the

International Board on Books for Young People International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

in 1983 for this book. Between 1979 and 1982, Diepmann was also the head of the Dutch Section of the International Board on Books for Young People. She became an honorary member of

PEN International PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide professional association, association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association ...

in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

in 1994 for her contributions to Czech literature.

Other

In 1964, she won the

Deutscher Jugendbuchpreis The (German Youth Literature Award) is an annual award established in 1956 by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth to recognise outstanding works of children's and young adult literature. It is Germany's only ...

for her book ''En de groeten van Elio'' (1961). The story was also turned into a radio play for German radio. In 1970, she received the Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur literary award. Diepmann worked to create this award a few years earlier in 1964. For her book ''Dan ben je nergens meer'' she received the

Nienke van Hichtum-prijs The Nienke van Hichtum-prijs (Dutch language, Dutch for Nienke van Hichtum Prize) is a biennial Dutch literary award for children's literature awarded by the Jan Campert-Stichting. The award is named after children's author Nienke van Hichtum and ...

literary award in 1975 . In 1978, she wrote children's poetry book ''Wiele wiele stap'' with illustrations by

Thé Tjong-Khing Thé Tjong-Khing (; born August 4, 1933) is a children's book illustrator based in the Netherlands. He was born in Purworedjo, Java, Dutch East Indies to a large Chinese Indonesian family. As a child he was interested in the Tarzan comic strips ...

. Diekmann won a

Gouden Griffel The Gouden Griffel (Golden Stylus) is an award given to authors of children's or teenagers' literature in the Netherlands. History Since 1971, it is awarded each year during the Dutch Children's Books Week, by the Stichting Collectieve Prop ...

award for the book and Thé Tjong-Khing won a Gouden Penseel award. Her next children's poetry book ''Stappe stappe step'', also illustrated by Thé Tjong-Khing, received a

Vlag en Wimpel In the Netherlands, the award is an honourable mention awarded by either the jury of the Gouden Griffel and Zilveren Griffel awards (for Dutch-language children's literature) or the jury of the Gouden Penseel and Zilveren Penseel awards (for ...

award in 1980. For her contributions to children's literature she won the

Laurens Janszoon Costerprijs The Laurens Janszoon Costerprijs (Dutch for Laurens Janszoon Coster Prize) is a Dutch literary award given to those who have made a contribution to Dutch literature. The award is named after Dutch purported inventor of a printing press Laurens Ja ...

in 1979. In 1985, she won the

literary award for the book ''Hannes en Kaatje, 2 in een straatje''. She also won the Vlag en Wimpel award in 1986 for ''Hannes en Kaatje en het rommellaatje''. Her books featuring the characters Hannes and Kaatje have been described as a modern version of

Jip and Janneke ''Jip and Janneke'' (Dutch: ''Jip en Janneke'') is a series of children's books in the Netherlands, written by Annie M. G. Schmidt and illustrated by Fiep Westendorp. The series is known for its simplicity and wit. The series was originally wr ...

or Ot and Sien. Together with her daughter in law Marlieke van Wersch she also won a Vlag en Wimpel in 1987 for ''Hoe schilder hoe wilder'', a novel that aims to relate the work of 17th century painters to everyday life in that era. Her books translated into English include ''De boten van Brakkeput'' (as ''The Haunted Island'', 1959), ''Gewoon een straatje'' (as ''Just a Street'', 1963), ''Marijn bij de lorredraaiers'' (as ''Slave Doctor'', 1970), and ''Jossy wordt een Indiaan'' (as ''Indian Jossy'', 1970).

Personal life

Diekmann was married from 1948 to 1954 to journalist Anton Kamphoff, with whom she had two sons. Diekmann died on 9 July 2017.

Awards

* 1956: Kinderboek van het jaar (''De boten van Brakkeput'') * 1964:

(''En de groeten van Elio'') * 1970: Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur * 1975:

(''Dan ben je nergens meer'') * 1978:

(''Wiele wiele stap'') * 1979:

* 1980:

(''Stappe stappe step'') * 1981: Boekensleutel (''Ik heb geen naam'') * 1986: Vlag en Wimpel (''Hannes en Kaatje, 2 in een straatje'') * 1987: Vlag en Wimpel (''Hannes en Kaatje en het rommellaatje'') * 1987: Vlag en Wimpel (''Hoe schilder hoe wilder'') * 1991: nomination Publieksprijs voor het Nederlandse Boek

References

External links

Miep Diekmann
(in Dutch), Digital Library for Dutch Literature
Miep Diekmann
(in Dutch), schrijversinfo.nl {{DEFAULTSORT:Diekmann, Miep 1925 births 2017 deaths Dutch children's writers Dutch women children's writers 20th-century Dutch women writers 21st-century Dutch women writers Nienke van Hichtum Prize winners Gouden Griffel winners