Joost Zwagerman facts for kids

Joost Zwagerman (born November 18, 1963 – died September 8, 2015) was a famous Dutch writer, poet, and essayist. He was known for his novels, poems, and articles in newspapers. One of his teachers was the well-known novelist Oek de Jong.

Early Life and School

Joost Zwagerman was born in Alkmaar, Netherlands, on November 18, 1963. When he was nine years old, he already showed his creative side. He made his own magazine called De Zwagergids. This magazine was filled with stories and pictures he found in TV guides.

He went to high school in Alkmaar. After that, he studied at a teaching academy. He also started studying the Dutch language and literature, but he did not finish this course. An important part of his education was a special writing class taught by Oek de Jong.

His Books and Writings

Zwagerman started his writing career with his first novel, De houdgreep, in 1986. His second novel, Gimmick! (1989), became very popular. It was even turned into a play. In 1991, he wrote Vals licht, which was nominated for a big literary prize. This book was later made into a movie in 1993.

He wrote many other novels, including Chaos en Rumoer, Zes Sterren, and De buitenvrouw. Joost Zwagerman's books were so good that they were translated into twelve different languages. People in countries like Germany, France, and Japan could read his stories.

Besides novels, Zwagerman also wrote poetry. His first collection of poems, Langs de doofpot, came out in 1987. His later poetry collection, Roeshoofd hemelt, won the Awater poetry prize and was printed four times because so many people wanted to read it. He also wrote collections of essays, which are short pieces of writing about a specific topic. One of these was Het vijfde seizoen (2003).

Other Work and Recognition

Joost Zwagerman was not only a writer of books. He also wrote columns for Dutch newspapers. He wrote for de Volkskrant and later for NRC Handelsblad. He was also a host on a Dutch television show called Zomergasten. He even performed on stage with another Dutch writer, Ronald Giphart.

He often appeared on the TV program De Wereld Draait Door. On this show, he gave short talks about art. He loved art and enjoyed sharing his passion with a wide audience.

Zwagerman also taught at universities. He was connected to the University of Groningen in 1998 and Leiden University in 2003. In 2008, he received the Gouden Ganzenveer award. This award is given to people who have made a special contribution to Dutch written culture.

Joost Zwagerman lived in Amsterdam with his wife and three children until his divorce. In 2012, he moved to Haarlem.