Mensje van Keulen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mensje van Keulen
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Mensje van Keulen (1983)
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| Born | Mensje Francina van der Steen 10 June 1946 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Pen name | Mensje van Keulen, Josien Meloen, Constant P. Cavalry |
| Notable awards |
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Mensje van Keulen was born on June 10, 1946. She is a famous Dutch writer. Her real name is Mensje Francina van der Steen, but she uses "Mensje van Keulen" as her pseudonym. A pseudonym is a made-up name that an author uses instead of their real name. She has written many books, including popular ones for children.
Her Writing Journey
Mensje van Keulen started her writing career by creating drawings, stories, and poems. These appeared in a magazine called Propria Cures. Her very first book, Bleekers zomer, was published in 1972.
From 1973 to 1981, Mensje also worked as an editor. She helped put together the magazine Maatstaf.
Awards for Her Books
Mensje van Keulen has won several important awards for her writing. In 1986, she received the Zilveren Griffel award. This was for her first children's book, Tommie Station, which came out in 1985.
Later, in 1991, she won the Nienke van Hichtum-prijs. This award was for another children's book, Vrienden van de maan. She also got a Vlag en Wimpel award in 1993 for her book Meneer Ratti.
Mensje van Keulen has also won awards for all her books put together. This is called her "entire oeuvre" (pronounced "oo-vruh"). In 2011, she won the Charlotte Köhler Prize. Then, in 2014, she received the Constantijn Huygens Prize. These awards celebrate her whole collection of work.
Illustrators of Her Books
Many talented artists have drawn pictures for Mensje van Keulen's children's books. Some of these illustrators include Thé Tjong-Khing, Willem van Malsen, and Jan Jutte. Their drawings help bring her stories to life.
Other Writing Names
Sometimes, Mensje van Keulen used other pseudonyms. Besides "Mensje van Keulen," she also wrote under the names Josien Meloen and Constant P. Cavalry.
Her Role in Politics
Mensje van Keulen has also been involved in politics. She supported the Party for the Animals. This party focuses on animal rights and welfare.
She was a "lijstduwer" for them in some elections. A lijstduwer is someone famous who is placed at the bottom of a party's list of candidates. They encourage people to vote for that party. She did this for the European Parliament elections in 2004 and 2014.
She was also on the list of candidates for the Dutch general elections in 2006 and 2017.
Her Personal Life
Mensje van Keulen became a vegetarian when she was 20 years old. This means she chose not to eat meat. She was married and has one son.
Main Awards She Has Won
Here is a list of some of the major awards Mensje van Keulen has received:
- 1986: Zilveren Griffel for Tommie Station
- 1991: Nienke van Hichtum-prijs for Vrienden van de maan
- 1993: Vlag en Wimpel for Meneer Ratti
- 2003: Annie Romeinprijs for her entire oeuvre
- 2011: Charlotte Köhler Prize for her entire oeuvre
- 2014: Constantijn Huygens Prize for her entire oeuvre
