Guus Kuijer (; born 1 August 1942) is a Dutch author. He wrote books for children and adults, and is best known for the ''Madelief'' series of
children's books
A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...
. For his career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" he won the
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award ( sv, Litteraturpriset till Astrid Lindgrens minne) is an international children's literary award established by the Swedish government in 2002 to honour the Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren (1907–200 ...
from the Swedish Arts Council in 2012, the biggest prize in children's literature. As a children's writer he was one of five finalists for the biennial, international
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". Th ...
in 2008.
Early life
Guus Kuijer is born on 1 August 1942 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 ...
, Netherlands. His parents were members of the
Catholic Apostolic Church
The Catholic Apostolic Church (CAC), also known as the Irvingian Church, is a Christian denomination and Protestant sect which originated in Scotland around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States.kweekschool'' in
Doetinchem
Doetinchem (; Low Saxon: ) is a city and municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the Oude IJssel (Old IJssel) river in a part of the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek. The municipality had a population of in ...
to become a teacher. From 1967 to 1973 he was a
primary school
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
.
Writing career
In 1968 he started writing short stories for the magazine ''Hollands Maandblad'' and in 1971 he published a collection of his short stories. In 1973 he stopped teaching in order to become a full-time writer and this year he published his first
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
''Het dochtertje van de wasvrouw''.
In 1975 he published his first
children's book
Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader.
Children's ...
''Met de poppen gooien'', for which he received 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 ...
in 1976. This book was the first of five books about a girl named Madelief (lit. Daisy).
Stage & screen adaptations
Years later, a television series ''Madelief'' (1994) and movie '' Scratches in the Table'' (1998) were made of his book series about Madelief (1975–1979). Of his book series ''Polleke'' (1999–2001) a movie ''
Polleke
''Polleke'' is a 2003 Dutch family film, based on the children's book by Guus Kuijer.
It received a Golden Film for 100,000 visitors.
The book ''Camera loopt... Actie!'' by Bibi Dumon Tak
Margaretha Anna (Bibi) Dumon Tak (born 21 December ...
'' (2003) and a television series ''Polleke'' (2005) were made.
In 2011 Australian Richard Tulloch translated ''The Book of Everything'' into English and adapted it into a very successful play produced in 2013 by the Melbourne Theatre Company.
Works
* 1971 – ''Rose, met vrome wimpers''
* 1973 – ''Het dochtertje van de wasvrouw''
* 1975 – ''De man met de hamer''
* 1975 – ''Een gat in de grens''
* 1975 – ''Met de poppen gooien''
* 1976 – ''Drie verschrikkelijke dagen''
* 1976 – ''Grote mensen, daar kan je beter soep van koken''
* 1977 – ''Pappa is een hond''
* 1977 – ''Op je kop in de prullenbak''
* 1978 – ''Krassen in het tafelblad''
* 1978 – ''Hoe Mieke Mom haar maffe moeder vindt''
* 1979 – ''Ik woonde in een leunstoel''
* 1979 – ''Een hoofd vol macaroni''
* 1980 – ''Wimpers'', herziene druk van ''Rose, met vrome wimpers''
* 1980 – ''Het geminachte kind''
* 1980 – ''De tranen knallen uit mijn kop''
* 1983 – ''Crisis en kaalhoofdigheid''
* 1983 – ''Het grote boek van Madelief''
* 1983 – ''Eend voor eend''
* 1984 – ''De zwarte stenen''
* 1985 – ''Het land van de neushoornvogel''
* 1986 – ''De jonge prinsen''
* 1987 – ''Tin Toeval en de kunst van het verdwalen''
* 1987 – ''Tin Toeval en het geheim van Tweebeens-eiland''
* 1988 – ''Izebel van Tyrus''
* 1989 – ''Tin Toeval en de kunst van Madelief''
* 1989 – ''De redder van Afrika'' —about
Jacobus Capitein
Jacobus Elisa Johannes Capitein (1 February 1747) was a Dutch writer, Calvinist minister and missionary best known for being the first individual of African descent to be ordained as a minister in an established Protestant church. Born in Weste ...
* 1990 – ''Olle''
* 1992 – ''Het vogeltje van Amsterdam''
* 1993 – ''Tin Toeval in de onderwereld''
* 1996 – ''De grote Tin Toeval''
* 1996 – ''De verhalen van Jonathan''
* 1999 – ''Voor altijd samen, amen''
* 2000 – ''Het is fijn om er te zijn''
* 2000 – ''Het geluk komt als de donder''
* 2000 – ''Reukorgel''
* 2001 – ''Met de wind mee naar zee''
* 2001 – ''Ik ben Polleke hoor!'' ( Kinderboekenweekgeschenk 2001)
* 2003 – ''Polleke''
* 2004 – ''Het boek van alle dingen''
* 2006 – ''Hoe een klein rotgodje God vermoordde''
* 2007 – ''Het doden van een mens''
* 2009 – ''Hoe word ik gelukkig?''
* 2011 – ''Draaikonten en haatblaffers'' —about
Benito Arias Montano
Benito Arias Montano (or Benedictus Arias Montanus; 1527–1598) was a Spanish orientalist and polymath that was active mostly in Spain. He was also editor of the '' Antwerp Polyglot''. He reached the high rank of Royal Chaplain to King Philip II ...
and the origin of a tolerant society
* 2012 – ''De Bijbel voor ongelovigen. Het Begin - Genesis''
* 2013 – ''De Bijbel voor ongelovigen / 2. De Uittocht en de Intocht - Exodus, Jozua, Rechters''
* 2014 – ''De Bijbel voor ongelovigen / 3. Saul, David, Samuel en Ruth''
* 2015 – ''De Bijbel voor ongelovigen / 4. Koning David en de splitsing van het rijk''
* 2016 – ''De Bijbel voor ongelovigen / 5. De twee koninkrijken, Job en de profeten''
* 2016 – ''The Bible for Unbelievers'', translated by Laura Watkinson
Awards
* 1976 –
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 ...
for ''Met de poppen gooien''
* 1977 – Zilveren Griffel for ''Grote mensen, daar kun je beter soep van koken''
* 1979 – Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur
* 1979 – Gouden Griffel for ''Krassen in het tafelblad''
* 1984 – Zilveren Griffel for ''Eend voor eend''
* 1988 – Zilveren Griffel for ''Tin Toeval en de kunst van het verdwalen'' / ''Tin Toeval en het geheim van tweebeenseiland''
* 2000 – Gouden Griffel for ''Voor altijd samen, amen''
* 2002 – Zilveren Griffel for ''Met de wind mee naar de zee''
* 2003 –
Woutertje Pieterse Prijs
The Woutertje Pieterse Prijs (Dutch for Woutertje Pieterse Prize) is an annual Dutch literary award for the best children's book of the preceding year.
History
The award was first given in 1988. The award is awarded annually in March or A ...
for ''Ik ben Polleke hoor!''
* 2005 – Gouden Griffel for ''Het boek van alle dingen''
* 2005 – Gouden Uil jeugdliteratuurprijs for ''Het boek van alle dingen''
* 2007 – E. du Perronprijs for ''Hoe een klein rotgodje god vermoordde'' (2006) and ''Het doden van een mens'' (2007)
* 2012 –
Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award ( sv, Litteraturpriset till Astrid Lindgrens minne) is an international children's literary award established by the Swedish government in 2002 to honour the Swedish children's author Astrid Lindgren (1907–200 ...