Tom Lanoye facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Lanoye
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Lanoye in 2022
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| Born |
Tom Emiel Gerardine Aloïs Lanoye
27 August 1958 |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Occupation | novelist, poet |
Tom Lanoye (born August 27, 1958) is a famous Belgian writer. He writes many different things, like novels, poems, and plays for the theater. He is one of the most popular and respected authors in the Netherlands and Flanders (a part of Belgium). Tom Lanoye often attends big theater festivals across Europe. He was born in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium.
Contents
About Tom Lanoye
Early Life and Education
Tom Lanoye was the youngest son in his family. His father was a butcher. He went to a Catholic school for boys called Sint-Jozef-Klein-Seminarie College in Sint-Niklaas.
Later, he studied languages and sociology at Ghent University. While he was still a student, he published his first work himself. He said he did this "just like all the punk bands did back then." He wanted to learn how to write and publish on his own.
Where He Lives and Works
Today, Tom Lanoye lives and works in two different cities. He spends time in Antwerp, Belgium, and also in Cape Town, South Africa. His books and plays have been shared and performed in more than fifteen languages around the world.
His Amazing Books and Plays
Early Novels
In 1985, Tom Lanoye published his first novel, Een slagerszoon met een brilletje. This title means A Butcher's Son with Spectacles. It was a story based a little on his own life.
Other books he wrote include Alles moet weg (Everything Has To Go) in 1988. He also wrote Kartonnen dozen (Cardboard Boxes) in 1991. This book is a thoughtful story about growing up.
The "Divine Monster" Trilogy
Tom Lanoye also wrote a series of three novels. These books are called Het Goddelijke Monster (The Divine Monster), Zwarte tranen (Black Tears), and Boze tongen (Spiteful Tongues). This trilogy tells the story of a rich and dishonest Belgian family falling apart. A TV show based on these books was shown in Belgium in 2011.
Plays for the Stage
Tom Lanoye is also well-known for his plays. One of his most famous plays is Ten Oorlog (To War). This play is a very long, 12-hour version of eight of Shakespeare's history plays. It has been performed in many places, including the Salzburg Festival in Germany.
He has written more than thirty plays in total. Many of his plays have been performed at big festivals. These include festivals in cities like Avignon, Amsterdam, Vienna, and Paris.
His Writing Style
When Tom Lanoye first started writing, some people called him an "enfant terrible." This means he was a bit rebellious and liked to challenge old ideas. But now, he is a very respected writer. He writes all kinds of texts, not just books. He writes for newspapers, magazines, and even for cabaret shows. He also performs his literary shows in theaters. These are like theatrical monologues, where he tells stories on stage.
Awards and Honors
Tom Lanoye has won many awards for his books and plays. Here are some of the main ones:
- 1992 – Humo's Golden Bookmark for Kartonnen dozen
- 1998 – Océ Podium Prize for Ten oorlog
- 1998 – Proscenium Prize for Ten oorlog
- 1998 – Humo's Golden Bookmark for Het goddelijke monster
- 2000 – Innovationspreis Theatertreffen Berlin for Schlachten! (Ten oorlog)
- 2000 – The Golden Owl Public Prize for Zwarte Tranen
- 2000 – Humo's Golden Bookmark for Zwarte Tranen
- 2003 – The Golden Owl Literature Prize for Boze Tongen
- 2007 – The Gouden Ganzenveer for his entire collection of work
- 2007 – Honorary Doctorate from the University of Antwerp
- 2010 – The Golden Owl Public Prize for Sprakeloos
- 2011 – The Henriette Roland Holst Prize for Sprakeloos
- 2013 – the Constantijn Huygens Prize for his entire collection of work
- 2024 – Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren
In 2007, he received the Gouden Ganzenveer for all his work. He also received an honorary doctorate from Antwerp University that same year. In 2013, he won the Constantijn Huygens Prize. This is a very important award for writers in the Dutch language.
His 2006 novel Het derde huwelijk was made into a movie in 2018. The film was called Third Wedding.
