Guus Kuijer
Guus Kuijer (b. 1942) is one of the Netherlands’ most popular writers for both children and adults. Countless children have grown up with his Madelief and Polleke series. He has won numerous major awards and his work has been widely translated, with several of his books being adapted for the stage. The Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of The Book of Everything has enjoyed enormous success in Australia and around the world. His work for adults includes Hoe een klein rotgodje God vermoordde (How A Small Little God Murdered God, 2006) and Hoe word ik gelukkig? (How To Be Happy, 2009). In 2012 Kuijer won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for his children’s writing and in 2014 he was shortlisted for the AKO Literature Prize for The Bible for Unbelievers.