Siny van Iterson (5 October 1919 – 7 August 2018) was a Dutch children's writer, whose work was recognised with several awards, including Children's Book of the Year in 1968, 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 ...

and a

Hans Christian Andersen Award The Hans Christian Andersen Awards are two literary awards given by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), recognising one living author and one living illustrator for their "lasting contribution to children's literature". The ...

Biography

Van Iterson was born on

Curaçao Curaçao ( ; ; pap, Kòrsou, ), officially the Country of Curaçao ( nl, Land Curaçao; pap, Pais Kòrsou), is a Lesser Antilles island country in the southern Caribbean Sea and the Dutch Caribbean region, about north of the Venezuela coas ...

on 5 October 1919 to Dutch parents. She moved to the Netherlands at the age of two, but returned to Curaçao in 1947. In 1958 she moved with her husband to Colombia. She wrote exclusively in the Dutch language, although several titles have been translated into Danish, German and English. She often collaborated with illustrator Jenny Dalenoord. Her first two novels were set in

, whilst others were set in different South American locations. Her final novel was published in 1982. She died on 7 August 2018 in

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

. According to the scholar Ronald Jobe, van Iterson's novels showed a "contemporary view of rural Colombia" as well as providing "commentary on the poverty" found in the country.

Awards and recognition

* The title ''De adjudant van de vrachtwagen (The Adjutant of the Truck)'' was awarded as Children's Book of the Year in 1968. In English translation the title changed to ''Pulga.''Hoyle, Karen Nelson
"Forty years old and still vibrant."
''Children & Libraries'' 6.2 (2008): 14. * In 1971 she received a

for ''Het gouden suikerriet'' (''The Golden Sugar Cane)''. * In 1972 van Iterson was nominated for the

Selected works

* ''Schaduw over Chocamata'' (1953) * ''In de ban van de duivelsklip'' (1954) * ''De adjudant van de vrachtwagen'' (1967) * ''Het gouden suikerriet'' (1970)

References

{{Authority control 1919 births 2018 deaths Dutch women children's writers Curaçao women writers Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing winners