Tonke Dragt

Tonke Dragt (born November 12 1930) is a Dutch writer and illustrator of children's literature. Her book "De brief voor de Koning" was chosen as the best Dutch youth book of the latter half of the twentieth century.

Biography

Antonia Johanna Dragt, better known as Tonke Dragt, was born in 1930 in Batavia on the Dutch East Indies (currently Jakarta in Indonesia). She spent the largest part of her youth there, including three years in a Japanese prisoner's camp during the Second World War between 1942 and 1945. She came to the Netherlands with her family after the war. She studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague and worked afterwards as a drawing teacher in secondary schools, living in The Hague. [cite book |last=Van Gool |first=Jef |title=De wereld van Tonke Dragt |origyear=1977 |origmonth=July |accessdate=2007-12-20 |series=Refleks. Visies op jeugdliteratuur |publisher=Van In |location=Lier, Belgium |language=Dutch |isbn=90-3060604-5 |pages=75]

Tonke Dragt first published stories in the magazine "Kris Kras", and her first book appeared in 1961.cite web |url=http://www.leopold.nl/web/show/id=61335/dbid=10092/typeofpage=40964 |title=Tonke Dragt |accessdate=2008-02-14 |publisher=Leopold |language=Dutch] She became one of the best known Dutch youth authors in 1962 with her second book, "De brief voor de koning" ("The Letter for the King"), which won the "Gouden Griffel" for the best Dutch youth book of the year. She continued to produce at a high rhythm during the 1960s, but massively reduced the output of new work in the next decades, although collections of older short stories filled up many of the gaps. [cite book |last=Van Gool |first=Jef |title=Op. Cit |origyear=1977 |pages=76]

Apart from writing and illustrating her own books, Tonke Dragt also made illustrations for some other books, including work by Paul Biegel, E. Nesbit, Rosemary Sutcliff, and the novel "Elidor" by Alan Garner. [cite book |last=Van Gool |first=Jef |title=Op. Cit |origyear=1977 |pages=77]

The work of Tonke Dragt has been translated in many languages, including German, English, Afrikaans, Czech, Spanish, Danish and Indonesian.

tyle and themes

Many of the books and stories by Tonke Dragt are situated in a fantasy or science fiction environment, although usually closely related to or intertwined with the real world. "De brief voor de koning", "Geheimen van het Wilde Woud", and a few short stories, are set in a fictional medieval world. "Torenhoog en mijlenbreed", "Ogen van tijgers", and related stories, are near-future science fiction stories, where the action happens on Venus and Earth. "De Torens van Februari" alternates between our world and a parallel world. "De Zevensprong" is most firmly set in a realistic setting.

Tonke Dragt uses elements of legends and fables, most clearly in "Verhalen van de tweelingbroers". Her stories are mainly focused on one or a few male protagonists, often teenagers. They go on a personal quest, a search that may be externalized in an item like the letter in "De brief voor de koning", but which results in a discovery of their own persona.

uccess of "De brief voor de koning"

"De brief voor de koning" has sold over 1 million copies so far.cite web |url=http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=gohk6dcl |title=De ambassade van Tonke Dragt |accessdate=2008-02-14 |date=2005-11-10 |publisher=De Standaard |language=Dutch] The book has been translated many times, and reached its 22nd printing in Dutch in 2007.cite web |url=http://www.parool.nl/theater/2007/artikelen/092507-briefvandekoning.html |title=Tonke overtuigd: ridders zingen toch |accessdate=2008-02-14 |author=Sonja De Jong |date=2007-09-25 |publisher=Het Parool |language=Dutch]

In 2007, it premiered as a musical theater piece. This was the second theater production based on the works of Tonke Dragt, after an adaptation of "De Zevensprong".

The movie "De brief voor de koning" starring Derek de Lint was released in the summer of 2008. [cite web |url=http://www.trouw.nl/laatstenieuws/laatstenieuws/article894936.ece/Derek_de_Lint_in_De_brief_voor_de_koning |title=Derek de Lint in De brief voor de koning |accessdate=2008-02-14 |date=2008-01-17 |publisher=Trouw |language=Dutch] Tonke Dragt is now considered to be the greatest Dutch female writer for children.

Bibliography

Awards

* 1963: Kinderboek van het Jaar (Children's book of the Year, the predecessor of the Gouden Griffel) for "De brief voor de koning"
* 1971: Nienke van Hichtum Award for "Torenhoog en mijlenbreed"cite web |url=http://www.denhaag.nl/smartsite.html?id=40070 |title=Victorine Hefting-prijs 2005 voor Tonke Dragt |accessdate=2008-02-14 |date=2005-05-13 |publisher=The Hague |language=Dutch]
* 1976: Staatsprijs voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur (the highest award in the Dutch language area for a youth author, can be won only once per author)
* 1995: Buxtehuder Bulle, an Award for youth literature given by the city of Buxtehude, for the German translation of "De torens van Februari" [cite web |url=http://www.abendblatt.de/daten/2005/09/30/487891.html |title=Buxtehuder Bulle für "Lagune der Galeeren" |accessdate=2008-02-14 |date=2005-09-30 |publisher=Abendblatt |language=German]
* 2004: Griffel der Griffels for "De brief voor de koning" (award for the best Dutch children's book of the past fifty years)
* 2005: Victorine Hefting Award, an award for women in The Hague who have contributed to the cultural emancipation of women

Notes

External links

* [http://www.tonkedragt.nl/ Homepage]
* [http://www.leopold.nl/web/show/id=61335/dbid=10092/typeofpage=40964 Biography] at her publisher Leopold
* [http://www.kjoek.nl/tonkedragt.php Info] at Kjoek

*worldcat id|id=lccn-n84-58159