Guus Kuijer (Dutch pronunciation:[ɣysˈkœyər]; born 1 August 1942) is a Dutch author.[1] He wrote books for children and adults, and is best known for the Madelief series of children's books.[2] For his career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" he won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2012, the biggest prize in children's literature.[3][4] As a children's writer he was one of five finalists for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2008.[5]
Early life
Guus Kuijer is born on 1 August 1942 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[6] His parents were members of the Catholic Apostolic Church, but in 2006 Kuijer explained that he doesn't remember ever believing in God.[7]
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 novelHet dochtertje van de wasvrouw.[6]
In 1975 he published his first children's bookMet de poppen gooien, for which he received a Gouden Griffel in 1976. This book was the first of five books about a girl named Madelief (lit. Daisy).[6]
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 (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
