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Tjalie Robinson is the main alias of the Indo (Eurasian) intellectual and writer Jan Boon (10 January 1911 – 22 April 1974) also known as Vincent Mahieu. His father Cornelis Boon, a
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (; KNIL, ; ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherl ...
(KNIL) sergeant, was Dutch and his Indo-European mother Fela Robinson was part Scottish and Javanese. He is considered to be the author of unique Indo literature. Tjalie Robinson became the most influential post war Indo activist of his generation and the most important promoter of Indo culture anywhere. In his essay ''"Sweet Java, about Tjalie Robinson."'' Rudy Kousbroek, one of the Netherlands foremost essayists, simply called him ''"one of the greatest Dutch writers"''. His aim as cultural guardian was to preserve Indo culture for the future or as he put it himself: ''"To create living monuments for an immortal past."''. In his most vivid description of the Eurasian nature of his Indo identity Tjalie Robinsion wrote:
''"I did not care that people wanted to call me ‘neither fish nor fowl,’ and wanted to label me (an Indo), either Indonesian or Dutch. For them I just had to choose between the two, right? Nevertheless, I stubbornly named the turtle as ‘neither fish nor fowl,’ and praised this animal as a unique, land-and-sea-lover who lives to very old ages, whose meat has an excellent taste, and who cuts through oceans from continent to continent. I said, "Just as I do not find the turtle inferior, although he is neither fish nor fowl, I do not think the Indo inferior."''
Tjalie Robinson's book 'Tjies' was awarded a literary prize by the municipality of Amsterdam in 1958. Robinson is the best read Dutch author in
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
.


Life in the Dutch East Indies

Born in
Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...
, the Netherlands, he spent the first 44 years of his life in the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...
. When he was a 3-month-old baby his family returned to the Dutch East Indies. As a child he lived and went to primary school in
Meester Cornelis Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
(now
Jatinegara Jatinegara (originally known as Meester Cornelis or Meester/Mester for short) is one of the districts () of the administrative city of East Jakarta, Indonesia. The name also refers to the larger, historic area of the colonial town of Meester Corn ...
). He attended secondary school ( MULO) in Batavia (now
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
). Although an eager and astute student, he was also an avid and all-round athlete and boxer, winning the
Silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...
at the high jump and the
Gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
at the
pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek language, Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) (). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Anci ...
during the Athletics Championships of Java in 1933. After completing college and obligatory military service he married and went on to become a teacher at the so-called 'Wild (unsubsidised) Schools' on Java and
Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
. In 1936 he became a contributing editor for the ' Batavian Newspaper' (Dutch: Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad), founded in 1885 by author P.A. Daum. It was one of the leading newspapers in the Dutch East Indies which also employed other important Indo writers like Karel Zaalberg,
Ernest Douwes Dekker Ernest François Eugène Douwes Dekker also known as ''Setyabudi'' or ''Setiabudi'' (8 October 1879 – 28 August 1950) was an Indonesian-Dutch people, Dutch Indonesian National Revolution, nationalist and politician of Indo people, Indo descen ...
and Victor Ido. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(1942–1945) Robinson was interned in various Japanese concentration camps such as
Tjimahi Cimahi () is a landlocked city located immediately west of the larger city of Bandung, in West Java Province, Indonesia and within the Bandung Metropolitan Area. It covers an area of 42.43 km2 and had a population at the 2010 Census of 541, ...
and the infamous
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...
, where he continued writing. He was part of a small group of intellectuals (including Leo Vroman and Rob Nieuwenhuys) that engaged in cultural activity. For a while Robinson was even able to print a camp periodical named 'Kampkroniek' (Camp Chronicles) and a pamphlet named 'Onschendbaar Domein' (Inviolable Domain). The gruesome war experience influenced his life philosophy; nevertheless Robinson never wrote much about his years as a
POW POW is "prisoner of war", a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. POW or pow may also refer to: Music * P.O.W (Bullet for My Valentine song), "P.O.W" (Bull ...
. On occasions he tried to reflect with an uneasy mix of shame and fascination:
"Sometimes I reluctantly look back at that time I am supposed to hate. (60 years and 60 thousand emotions packed into 1 night.) Surrounded by life-threatening situations and you know you're alone against Fate. Fight, Johny Brown, fight. Ulcers, malaria, diphtheria, bullits and landmines. ..Knowing physical exhaustion, the stench of swamps, the rattling of snakes, anachoic hunting grounds."
After the war he survived the bedlam of the Bersiap period (1945–1946) and even worked as
editor in chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held account ...
for the magazine ''Wapenbroeders'' (Brothers in Arms), where he was also the creator of the popular 'Taaie & Neut' cartoon series. In 1946 he was promoted to captain and served as war correspondent for the KNIL's Public Relations Office (Dutch: Leger voorlichtings dienst) in amongst others the volatile region of Kediri, East Java. After Indonesia gained independence, he remarried in 1950 and moved to
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
with his new wife, who was working for the Bruynzeel corporation in the timber industry. There he adopted the alias 'Vincent Mahieu' (named after Indo icon Auguste Mahieu (1865–1903), founder of the Komedie Stamboel Indo opera) and wrote much of his work for the books 'Tjies' & 'Tjoek'. His wife Lillian Ducelle recalled:
... he was home writing. We lived outside of the city along a river. Rats as big as cats ran through our little house. Sometimes we had no water or electricity - but he had the time of his life. In our time there he wrote most of his 'Vincent Mahieu' oeuvre. Typewriter on a wooden case turned over, he just kept on typing. He said: ''"This is where I live."''
Scholar, translator and poet E.M. Beekman describes the work as: ''"These stories show a refined talent, a powerful imagination, an inquisitive intellect and a whole lot of feeling."''Beekman, E.M. ''Paradijzen van weleer. Koloniale literatuur uit Nederlands-Indië, 1600-1950'' (translation from English to Duch: Maarten van der Marel en René Wezel), (Publisher: Prometheus, Amsterdam, 1998) See DBN

/ref> Both books were translated into Indonesian in 1976 by H.B. Jassin. The latter book into German in 1993 by W.Hüsmert. The English translations by M. Alibasah were published in 1995. From 1952 to 1954 he worked as journalist for the newspaper 'Nieuwsgier' where he was continuously reflecting on life in his ever-changing homeland and wrote most of his often re-printed work 'Piekerans van een straatslijper.' 'Piekerans' (Musings) is the Petjok word Tjalie Robinson used to name his weekly essays in the newspaper, which in essence do not significantly differ from the work of his famous Dutch contemporary in the Netherlands Simon Carmiggelt. Together their work grew into a separate genre in Dutch literature and found successors in among others Rudy Kousbroek.Buikema, Rosemarie and Meijer, Maaike (red.), ''Cultuur en migratie in Nederland. Kunsten in beweging 1900-1980'' (Publisher: Sdu Uitgevers, The Hague, 2003) See DBNL

/ref> He also became contributing editor with the cultural and literary magazine 'Orientatie', which published many of his short stories. In his story writing he excelled as a literary interpreter of everyday life of Indos in colonial history, Indos in the Dutch East Indies.


Life in the Netherlands

In 1955 he left for the Netherlands and first lived in
Amsterdam 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 ...
and later in
The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...
, where he became a zealous activist for the preservation of Indo culture. Initially he wrote columns reflecting on repatriation in Dutch newspaper ''
Het Parool ''Het Parool'' () is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was first published on 10 February 1941 as a resistance paper during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945). In English, its name means ''The Password'' or ''The Motto' ...
'', where he became a direct colleague of Simon Carmiggelt, and simultaneously kept catering for the Indos still in Indonesia by writing for
Surabaya Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
based 'De Vrije Pers' (The Free Press). He originally attempted to find connection with the cultural and literary establishment of the Netherlands, but unwilling to assimilate he wanted to establish his own cultural network of Indo authors and artists. To groom the 62-year-old Indo author Maria Dermoût who successfully debuted in 1955 he wrote her: "I am Mrs Dermoût, a barefoot child of the free seas and free mountains. Even when death would be my prediction, I will keep fighting an injustice that does not threaten me personally, but our cultural conscience (if there is such a thing)." He soon started a short-lived magazine called ''Gerilja'' (
Guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
), sub-titled 'Magazine for Self-preservation', after which he took over editorial responsibility of the monthly magazine ''De Brug'' (The Bridge) in 1957, which he wanted to transform into a weekly Indo magazine. This became the predecessor of his magazine ‘Tong Tong’, sub-titled 'The only Indo magazine in the Netherlands', established one year later (1958) and that lives on to this day under the name ‘Moesson’. The magazine's main target audience was the Indo community in diaspora. At its peak in 1961 the magazine had 11,000 paying subscribers and reached an estimated 77,000 readers, one third of the Indo community in the Netherlands. Another living monument of his achievements is the annual Pasar Malam Besar (renamed to ' Tong Tong Fair' in 2009) which he co-founded in 1959. In a 1958 example how Tjalie Robinson used the ''Tong Tong Magazine'' to elucidate both his own Indo community and Dutch public opinion, his editorial reaction to a government study about the repatriation from Indonesia contradicts the widespread notion Indo culture was merely a thin facade laid over a Dutch foundation. Using the evidence of centuries old Portuguese family names many Indos carried and matriarchal kinship relations within Eurasian communities, he argued that in origin the Indos sprang from an ancient mestizo culture going back all the way to the beginning of the European involvement in Asia. When in 1960 and 1961 he published his best-known work, respectively the books ''Tjies'' and ''Tjoek'', Dutch literary critics immediately praised his style and narrative. However they found it hard to comprehend the Indies environment he was describing. Tjalie Robinson himself consequently decided to give all his focus to the advancement of the Indo community in diaspora and the social objectives he coupled to that, by solely publishing in his own magazine. In 1963 he wrote: "I couldn't care less about literary life, in reality that only means your a name in a bookcase. Writing should have a living social function. 90% of what we call literature is just phraseology, obsequious embellishment and blatherskite." Tjalie Robinson developed a life philosophy that evolves around the nature of ''the Hunt'', regularly writing about the practice of hunting as a parable for 'real' and 'truthful' living as he saw it. In his stories ''the Hunt'' often returns as a theme to intellectually explore 'dangerous' and 'courageous' life and particularly to depict the life and culture of Indos. In the Netherlands he emerged as a sharp critic of assimilation, putting the ''hunting'' lifestyle of the Indo opposite to mundane lifestyle in the West. Tjalie Robinson has been attributed to having single-handedly preserved the historic hybrid Indo culture of the Dutch East Indies in literature.
... with the wisdom of hindsight we now know that Tjalie Robinson was one of the most original writers of post war Dutch literature, that in the nick of time he secured something that otherwise would have been lost to us: how people felt, thought and spoke in the now lost world of the Indo community on Java. Rudy Kousbroek, 1989.


Later years

In search of a global vision on Indo culture and in a continued effort to resist assimilation Tjalie Robinson traveled to
Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
, where he compared the Indo community with the racially mixed people of that continent. Already in the Dutch East Indies he had admired the status of the
Creole language A creole language, or simply creole, is a stable form of contact language that develops from the process of different languages simplifying and mixing into a new form (often a pidgin), and then that form expanding and elaborating into a full-fl ...
Papiamento Papiamento () or Papiamentu (; ) is a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean. It is the most widely spoken language on Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao ( ABC Islands). The language, spelled in Aruba and in Bonaire and ...
and the cultural expressions of the Dutch Antilles. He also sympathised with the philosophical writings of the Spanish essayist Jose Ortega y Gasset, an outspoken proponent of
perspectivism Perspectivism (also called perspectivalism) is the epistemological principle that perception of and knowledge of something are always bound to the interpretive perspectives of those observing it. While perspectivism regard all perspectives and ...
and in 1961 even initiated the creation of an Indo enclave in Spain, named 'El Atabal'. Later he moved to the United States (1963–1968) and lived in
Whittier, California Whittier () is a city in Los Angeles County, California, and is part of the Gateway Cities. The city had 87,306 residents as of the 2020 United States census, an increase of 1,975 from the 2010 United States census, 2010 census figure. Whittier ...
, where he founded 'The American Tong Tong’. He felt there was less resistance in the USA to ethnic profiling of minorities and to create a cultural sanctuary for Indos he set up the Indo Community Center 'De Soos' in
Victorville Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810. Victorville is the principal city of a Victor Valley–based urban area defined by the United States Census Bureau: ...
, near
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, which only allowed membership to people that were also subscribed to the 'American Tong Tong' magazine. Already before his emigration to the USA he was full of admiration for multi-cultural
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
and wrote: "All these different ethnic minorities (in New York City) are allowed to be who they are (only in Holland we still believe in the folly of assimilation) and – strange as it may sound – they are all American. And now look at how richly they affect New York. All these people that can remain true to themselves, give their own flair and character to American life." His literary work found comparisons with
Flannery O'Connor Mary Flannery O'Connor (March 25, 1925August 3, 1964) was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. She wrote two novels and 31 short stories, as well as a number of reviews and commentaries. O'Connor was a Southern writer who of ...
, writer of ''Mystery and Manners. Occasional Prose.'' (as well as other
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, Dixieland, or simply the South) is List of regions of the United States, census regions defined by the United States Cens ...
authors like Faulkner and
Eudora Welty Eudora Alice Welty (April 13, 1909 – July 23, 2001) was an American short-story writer, novelist and photographer who wrote about the American South. Her novel '' The Optimist's Daughter'' won the Pulitzer Prize in 1973. Welty received numerou ...
), who appropriately wrote that "great talent can put a small local history into a universal light". In his analysis of Tjalie Robinson professor E.M. Beekman also pointed out that he quite often cited or referred to American authors like:
Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced," with William Fau ...
,
Henry Miller Henry Valentine Miller (December 26, 1891 – June 7, 1980) was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist. He broke with existing literary forms and developed a new type of semi-autobiographical novel that blended character study, so ...
,
Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three ...
,
T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...
and even
Robert Frost Robert Lee Frost (March26, 1874January29, 1963) was an American poet. Known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American Colloquialism, colloquial speech, Frost frequently wrote about settings from rural life in New E ...
when he was still an unknown writer in Europe. To save the Dutch 'Tong Tong' magazine that was suffering from a dwindling number of subscribers he returned to the Netherlands in 1968, where he spent the final years of his life. Tjalie Robinson died in 1974. The necrology of this "
avant garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...
visionary" reads: "In The Hague at the age of 63 Indo journalist and author Tjalie Robinson passed away. After his return from Indonesia he had wholeheartedly given his all to preserve the unique identity of the Indo community in the Netherlands. ..Many of his endeavours encountered resistance, but appreciation was paramount." His ashes were scattered in the
Java Sea The Java Sea (, ) is an extensive shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf, between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south, Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east. Karimata Strait to its northwest links it to the South Ch ...
at
Sunda Kelapa Sunda Kelapa () is the old port of Jakarta, located on the estuary of the Ciliwung River. "Sunda Kalapa" ( Sundanese: "Coconut of Sunda") is the original name, and it was the main port of the Sunda Kingdom. The port is situated in Penjaringan D ...
in
Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
the same year. His son recalls: "Then – under the soft sounds of
Kroncong Kroncong (pronounced "kronchong"; , ) is the name of a ukulele-like instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound ' comes from this instrument, so the music is called ''kroncong''). A ''kroncong'' ...
music – the urn was slowly emptied into the sea. Tjalie was home."


Legacy

Part of his literary legacy is the fact that he wrote much of his work in the Indo mix language called Petjok, also known as petjo or pecuk, giving it a status that it never had in the Dutch East Indies and providing academic linguistic research a substantial database. His work varies between the melancholy reminiscence of the Indos in diaspora, caught in the term Tempo Doeloe, the positioning of post-colonial Indo identity and the study of a global Eurasian cultural domain.
... an outstanding figure who helped shape and pass on the legacy of the Dutch colonial past from the East Indies, Tjalie Robinson. An author who not only was a prominent voice in the colonial period, but also throughout the years of decolonisation, and during the ensuing postcolonial era. In his life and work can be detected a reflection of twentieth-century processes of change in the relations between the Netherlands and its former colony in the East. (Professor Dr. Wim Willems describing Tjali Robinson as a cultural mediator from the East.)
His greatest achievement as described by Kousbroek may have been that he was: "... the only one that has restored their (Indo) self respect and granted us insight into their culture and has written about it with the hand of a master." His work is still regularly re-issued by publisher Moesson, The Hague. and often cited in academic studies. In 1992 on the facade of Tjalie Robinson's place of birth, Dominicanenstraat 117 in Nijmegen, a memorial was unveiled by the 'Literary Cafe Nijmegen', in collaboration with the Municipality of Nijmegen and the 'Cultural Council Gelderland'. In 2008 it was announced that a square would be named after him in The Hague. In 2008 Wim Willems published his biography: ''Tjalie Robinson, Indo writer'' and in 2009 his compiled letters ''Writing with your fists, Tjalie Robinsons letters'' for which the author received the literary award 'Witte Prijs' in 2010. In 2009 commemorating Tjalie Robinson's death 35 years ago a modern multi-media theater play based on his stories was performed in Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia. The play was also performed during the 2011 Tong Tong Fair in The Hague, Netherlands. The 'Tong Tong' magazine, renamed to 'Moesson' in 1978 lives on to this day with his widow Lillian Ducelle as director and chief editor up to 1993. Lillian Ducelle: ''"I can not replace my husband, but I can continue his work."'' 50 seasons of published editions of both the Dutch and American magazine are available online in the digital archive of the official website. The 'American Tong Tong' magazine, renamed 'The Indo' lives on to this day with Rene Creutzburg as editor and publisher, who in 2007 was awarded a Royal ribbon in the '
Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...
' for his efforts over the past 44 years. This Dutch and English language magazine is still an official body of the Indo Community Center 'De Soos', established by Tjalie Robinson in 1963. His Tong Tong Fair remains an annual event in The Hague and many
Pasar Malam ''Pasar malam'' is a Malay language, Malay word that literally means "night market" (the word ''pasar'' comes from ''bazaar'' in Persian language, Persian). A ''pasar malam'' is a street market in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore that o ...
events inspired by it are held throughout the Netherlands yearly.


Family

He married ''Edith de Bruijn'' in 1934. After her death in 1938 he married ''Ivonne Benice Christine Niggebrugge'' in 1940. After their divorce in 1949 he married ''Lilly Mary Hermine van Zele'', also known under alias ''Lillian Ducelle'', in 1950. He has 1 son and 2 daughters from his first marriage, 1 son and 1 daughter from his second marriage and 1 son and 1 daughter from his third marriage. ING - Institute for Dutch history
/ref> Many of his family (wife, children, grandchildren) were actively involved in running both his magazine and festival.


Publications (selection)

* 1960 ''Tjies'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) First edition 1955. Second edition 1958. * 1961 ''Tjoek'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) * 1965 ''Piekerans van een straatslijper'' (Alias Tjalie Robinson) Compiled work from amongst others his Dutch East Indies 'Nieuwsgier' newspaper columns. * 1974 ''Piekeren in Nederland'' (Alias Tjalie Robinson) Compiled work from amongst others his Dutch '
Het Parool ''Het Parool'' () is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was first published on 10 February 1941 as a resistance paper during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945). In English, its name means ''The Password'' or ''The Motto' ...
' newspaper columns. * 1974 ''Piekerans bij een voorplaat'' (ed. L. Ducelle) * 1979 '' 'Memory and agony: Dutch stories from Indonesia'' (collected and introduced by Rob Nieuwenhuys, translated to English by Adrienne Dixon) * 1984 ''Ik en Bentiet'' (Alias Tjalie Robinson) Humorous dialogues containing much
Petjo language Petjo, also known as Petjoh, Petjok, Pecok, Petjoek () is a Dutch-based creole language that originated among the Indos, people of mixed Dutch and Indonesian ancestry in the former Dutch East Indies. The language has influences from Dutch and ...
in the narrative context. * 1989 ''Schuilen voor de regen'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) * 1990 ''Schat, schot, schat'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) * 1992 ''Verzameld werk'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) * 1992 ''Didi in Holland'' (Alias Didi) Essays written under alias Didi from his column in newspaper ''
Het Parool ''Het Parool'' () is an Amsterdam-based daily newspaper. It was first published on 10 February 1941 as a resistance paper during the German occupation of the Netherlands (1940–1945). In English, its name means ''The Password'' or ''The Motto' ...
''. * 1993 ''The Hunt for the Heart: Selected Tales from the Dutch East Indies'' (Alias Vincent Mahieu) Work translated to English by Margaret M. Alibasah.Mahieu Vincent (Robinson, Tjalie) ''The Hunt for The Heart'' (Oxford University Press, 1995) , Se

/ref> * 2009 ''Schrijven met je vuisten; brieven van Tjalie Robinson'' By Willems, Wim (Publisher: Prometheus, 2009)


See also

* Tong Tong Fair * Indos in colonial history


Other Indo authors

* Victor Ido (1869–1948) *
Ernest Douwes Dekker Ernest François Eugène Douwes Dekker also known as ''Setyabudi'' or ''Setiabudi'' (8 October 1879 – 28 August 1950) was an Indonesian-Dutch people, Dutch Indonesian National Revolution, nationalist and politician of Indo people, Indo descen ...
(1879–1950) * Maria Dermoût (1888–1962) * Beb Vuyk (1905–1991) * Rob Nieuwenhuys (1908–1999) * Ernst Jansz (born 1948) * Alfred Birney (born 1951) * Marion Bloem (born 1952) *
Theodor Holman Theodor Holman (born 9 January 1953, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch journalist, presenter, and writer of Indo descent. He studied Dutch language and History at the University of Amsterdam. He was editor of the satirical student newspaper Propria Cure ...
(born 1953)


References


Bibliography

* Paasman, Bert ''‘Tjalie Robinson, de stem van Indisch Nederland’'' (Publisher: Stichting Tong Tong, 1994) Review

* Sastrowardoyo, Subagio ''Sastra Hindia Belanda dan kita'' (Publisher: PT Balai Pustaka, Jakarta, 1990) Chapter VIII P.145-155

* Willems, Wim ''Tjalie Robinson; Biografie van een Indo-schrijver'' (Publisher: Bert Bakker, 2008) * Willems, Wim ''Schrijven met je vuisten; brieven van Tjalie Robinson'' (Publisher: Prometheus, 2009) * Nieuwenhuys, Rob ''Mirror of the Indies: A History of Dutch Colonial Literature'' – translated from Dutch by E. M. Beekman (Publisher: Periplus, 1999

* Dewulf, Jeroen ‘Framing a De-territorialized, Hybrid Alternative to Nationalist Essentialism in the Postcolonial Era: Tjalie Robinson and the Diasporic Eurasian Indo Community,’ ''Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies,'' Vol. 16, Nr. 1/2: 1–28


Further reading

* Beekman E.M. ''Fugitive dreams: an anthology of Dutch colonial literature'' (Publisher:
University of Massachusetts Press The University of Massachusetts Press is a university press that is part of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The press was founded in 1963, publishing scholarly books and non-fiction. The press imprint is overseen by an interdisciplinar ...
, Amherst, 1988)


External links


Interview with Tjalie Robinson at 07:30m. ''Dossier Karpaan'' (NCRV TV channel, 16-10-1961) Original video footage TV documentary about ''Spijtoptanten'' on ''Dutch History Website''.
Retrieved 09-10-2011
Comprehensive online selection of stories & poetry by Tjalie Robinson.

Article on Tjalie Robinson's 'Pasar Malam Besar' aka 'Tong Tong Fair' by Jean van de Kok for RNW, 2005. Research programme Berkeley University

DBNL - Digital library of Dutch literature

ING - Institute for Dutch history


Retrieved 27 oct 2010


Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Tjalie 1911 births 1974 deaths Dutch writers Indo people 20th-century Dutch East Indies people Dutch people of Indonesian descent Dutch people of Scottish descent World War II civilian prisoners held by Japan Postcolonial theorists Neocolonialism Postcolonial literature People from Nijmegen People from Batavia, Dutch East Indies