Simon Vestdijk on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Simon Vestdijk (; 17 October 1898 – 23 March 1971) was a Dutch writer.
He was nominated for the
Simon Vestdijk (; 17 October 1898 – 23 March 1971) was a Dutch writer.
He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
fifteen times.
Life
Born in the small Frisian town of Harlingen, Vestdijk studied medicine inAmsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, but turned to literature after a few years as a doctor, including some time on board a ship. From 1932, he lived from literature. He became one of the most important 20th-century writers in the Netherlands. During the German occupation, he and other Dutch intellectuals were held hostage in Kamp Sint-Michielsgestel for some time, partly because they did not want to join the Chamber of Culture. After the war, he retired to Doorn ( Utrecht province).
Vestdijk struggled with severe depressions from his youth, and until the end of his life.
His prolificness as a novelist was legendary (poet Adriaan Roland Holst saying of him that "he writes quicker than God can read"), but he was at least as important as an essayist on e.g., literature, religion, art, and music in particular. He also wrote much poetry and short stories. His work has been translated into several European languages. Some of his novels appeared as films in the cinema, or were broadcast on television.
Bibliography (books in English)
* Simon Vestdijk: ''On the poetEmily Dickinson
Emily Elizabeth Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Little-known during her life, she has since been regarded as one of the most important figures in American poetry. Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massac ...
''. Transl. by Peter Twydell. Doorn, Mycenta Vitilis, 2002. (Orig. publ. in 1933)
* Simon Vestdijk: ''The future of religion''. Transl. by Jacob Faber. Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.M.I., out of print Books on Demand, 1989. (translation of ''De toekomst der religie'', orig. publ. in 1947)
* Simon Vestdijk: ''Back to Ina Damman'' radio-play adaptation of the novel by Simon Vestdijk ; adaptation: Marc Lohmann. (Transl. of an adaptation of the novel ''Terug tot Ina Damman''. Hilversum, Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, 1988. No ISBN
* S. Vestdijk: ''The garden where the brass band played''. Translation by A. Brotherton of the novel ''De koperen tuin'', with an introduction by Hella S. Haasse. London, Quartet Books, 1992. . Other editions: New York, New Amsterdam, 1989. ; Leyden/London/New York, 1965. No ISBN
* Emily Dickinson: ''Gedichten''. Transl. by S. Vestdijk. Den Haag, Bert Bakker, 1969.
* Emily Dickinson: ''Selected poems''. (Chosen by Simon Vestdijk). Amsterdam, Balkema, 1940 (=1944)
* Simon Vestdijk: ''Rum Island'', Transl. by B.K. Bowes of the novel ''Rumeiland''. London, John Calder, 1963
* Simon Vestdijk : ''My brown friend'' & Miodrag Bulatović : ''Lovers'' & Keith Johnstone: ''The return'' & Robert Pinget: ''La manivelle. The old tune'' (English adapt. by Samuel Beckett). London, Calder, 1962
See also
*'' Het spook en de schaduw ("The ghost and the shadow")'' – Dutch language novel by VestdijkReferences
External links
*http://www.svestdijk.nl/al/wpengels.html *http://www.vestdijk.com (Dutch) {{DEFAULTSORT:Vestdijk, Simon 1898 births 1971 deaths 20th-century Dutch novelists 20th-century Dutch male writers Dutch male poets Dutch medical writers University of Amsterdam alumni People from Harlingen, Netherlands Constantijn Huygens Prize winners P. C. Hooft Award winners Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren winners Translators of Edgar Allan Poe Dutch male novelists 20th-century Dutch essayists