Willem Frederik Hermans

Willem Frederik Hermans

Birth : 1921-09-01, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Death : 1995-04-27

History

Willem Frederik Hermans (1921-1995) was a Dutch author of poetry, novels, short stories, plays, as well as booklength studies, essays, and literary criticism. His most famous works are Het Behouden Huis (The House of Refuge), De Donkere Kamer van Damokles (The Darkroom of Damocles) and Nooit meer slapen (Beyond Sleep). He is regarded as one of the greatest Dutch writers of the 20th century. In 1977 he received the Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren, the most prestigious literary award available for writers in the Dutch language, handed out every three years alternately by the reigning Dutch and Belgian monarchs to a writer of the other country, the Belgian king Boudewijn handing the prize to Hermans. Hermans is considered one of De Grote Drie ('The Big Three'), the three most important authors in the Netherlands in the postwar period, along with Harry Mulisch and Gerard Reve.

Profile

Willem Frederik Hermans

Movies

Beyond Sleep
Beyond Sleep
Novel
A young geologist ventures out into the vast tundra of northern Norway to finish his research on meteorite craters, only to get hopelessly lost in both the wilderness and his own mind.
Paranoia
Paranoia
Novel
A man is under the illusion he is a wanted war criminal.
Like Two Drops of Water
Like Two Drops of Water
Writer
The fainthearted cigar trader Ducker keeps himself quiet during World War II. That changes when parachutist Dorbeck lands in his backyard. It turns out the parachutist bears a remarkable resemblance to Ducker. Ducker follows Dorbeck blindly, becomes involved in the Dutch resistance and soon starts killing people. When he escapes through German lines to the freed South Netherlands, no one has ever heard of Dorbeck.