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Hans Sleutelaar
Hans Sleutelaar-1.jpg
Sleutelaar in 2015
Born (1935-09-22)22 September 1935
Died 25 June 2020(2020-06-25) (aged 84)
Nationality Dutch
Occupation Poet
Awards Anna Blaman Prijs (2016)

Hans Sleutelaar (born September 22, 1935 – died June 25, 2020) was a famous Dutch poet. He was known for his unique way of writing. Sleutelaar was part of a special group of writers called the "Zestigers." This Dutch term refers to a literary movement from the 1960s that changed how people wrote and read poetry.

Who Was Hans Sleutelaar?

Hans Sleutelaar was born in Rotterdam, a big city in the Netherlands. He grew up to become a poet, which means he wrote poems. He also worked in many different jobs related to writing and books.

Early Life and Work

Before becoming a full-time poet, Sleutelaar had several interesting jobs. He worked as a junior copywriter at a large company called Unilever. A copywriter is someone who writes text for advertisements or marketing. He also worked as a freelance copywriter, meaning he worked for himself and took on different projects.

Later, he was an employee at a newspaper called Haagse Post. He also became the editor-in-chief for a publishing company named Boelen. An editor-in-chief is the main person in charge of all the content published by a company. From 1985 to 2000, he even had his own publishing company.

A Poet and Story Collector

Hans Sleutelaar was best known for his poetry. His poems often had a fresh and modern style. He was part of a group of writers called the "Zestigers" (which means "Sixtiers"). This group included other writers like Cornelis Bastiaan Vaandrager and Hans Verhagen. They were important because they brought new ideas to Dutch literature in the 1960s.

Sleutelaar also loved fairytales. He worked with another person, Eelke de Jong, to collect many old stories. Together, they gathered 500 fairytales in a collection called Sprookjes van de Lage Landen. This means "Fairytales from the Low Countries," which is another name for the Netherlands.

Awards and Later Years

Hans Sleutelaar received an important award for his work. In 2016, he was given the Anna Blaman Prijs. This award celebrates writers from Rotterdam. He passed away on June 25, 2020, in Rotterdam, at the age of 84. His work continues to be an important part of Dutch literature.

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