The Canonical Status of Children’s Book Authors: The Self-Image of Dutch Children’s Writers since the 1990s

The literary emancipation of children’s literature which started in the 1990s has slightly improved the canonical status of children’s authors. On the basis of a case-study of Dutch children’s book writers this article argues that this small step forward towards external literary recognition is paralleled by more self-confidence and self-esteem among the authors themselves. Evidence is found in the writers’ acknowledgement of the importance of children’s books as part of the literary system.