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  • Ted van LieshoutNetherlands ⋆ Author
  • Samantha Christensen

Born in Eindhoven in 1955, Ted van Lieshout comes from a family of twelve children, and from a young age he knew he wanted to pursue a career in writing. After finishing secondary school, he began studying at the Art Academy of Amsterdam, and began designing book covers and submitting illustrations to newspapers shortly after graduating. He illustrated De Blauw Geruite Kiel, a Dutch children's weekly, and it was while illustrating important Dutch poetry that he decided to begin publishing his own poems. Since in 1984, van Lieshout has regularly published volumes of poetry, and he has become one of the most celebrated children's poets in the Netherlands.

Van Lieshout's poems often deal with conflicting feelings, and his writing has been heavily influenced by the deaths of his father and brother. He experiments with minimalism and word play, and often treads into the waters of the taboo—his volume of poetry entitled Zeer kleine liefde [Very Little Love] includes poetry, letters, and photos of a fictional twelve-year-old boy involved in a sexual relationship with an adult man. Not only is van Lieshout an established children's poet, but his prose storybooks for young children are also beloved among Dutch young readers, often dealing with difficult and realistic issues. His YA novel, Gebr. [Bros.], relates the tragic death of a brother, as the protagonist attempts to move past his death while honoring his memory. As both a writer and an illustrator, van Lieshout understands the complex relationship between text and image in children's picture books, and he uses both literary and visual narrative to tell his stories. While much of van Lieshout's poetry and prose deals with difficult issues, offering his young readers a means by which to deal with their own traumatic experiences, he also shows his lighthearted side by writing songs for the Dutch version of Sesame Street and radio plays for young children.

Van Lieshout's unique contribution to Dutch children's literature has not gone unnoticed. In 2009, van Lieshout won the Theo Thijssen Prize, the most prestigious Dutch children's literature award, which is awarded to authors and illustrators every three years. He was also the first recipient of the Charlotte Köhler Stipendium in 1989 for his work as a promising young author.

Selected Bibliography

Gebr. [Bros]. 1996. Amsterdam: Gottmer, 2011. Print.
Ik ben een held [I'm a Hero]. 2000. Illus. Sylvia Weve. Amsterdam: Gottmer, 2011. Print.
Ik en de koningin [The Queen and I]. Amsterdam: Gottmer, 2006. Print.
Van Ansjovis tot Zwijntje [From Anchovies to Piglets]. Illus. Sieb Posthuma. Amsterdam: Leopold, 2009. Print.
Wij Zijn Bijzonder: Misschien zijn wij een wonder [We Are Special: Perhaps We Are a Miracle]. Amsterdam: Leopold, 2012. Print. [End Page 38]
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