Romkje de Bildt new managing director
23 August 2023
On 1 November, Romkje de Bildt becomes the new managing director of the Dutch Foundation for Literature. She succeeds Tiziano Perez, who announced in April that he will be leaving after ten years at the head of the national cultural foundation.
Roos Vermeij, chair of the foundation’s Supervisory Board, says, ‘Romkje de Bildt has wide experience in the field, and from her previous position, her managerial experience and her personality, she brings a great deal of knowledge and expertise. We are enormously pleased with her appointment.’
Romkje de Bildt (b. 1981) has worked at the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds since 2017 as adviser in the field of History and Literature. In that role she is responsible for its literature policy, which involves giving advice on applications and on adherence to guidelines such as the Fair Practice Code and the Diversity and Inclusion Code. She is also secretary to the Martinus Nijhoff Translation Prize and was involved right from the start with the latest Sleutelfigurenreeks, a series of literary and historical biographies. Her previous jobs include education staff member at the CPNB and editor at the Surinamese newspaper de Ware Tijd. She studied Classical Languages and Dutch Language and Literature at the University of Amsterdam.
De Bildt says of her appointment, ‘Sustaining a variegated literary landscape in the broadest sense is important for any society, and in that respect the Dutch Foundation for Literature has a crucial role to play. I look forward to being able to devote myself to that along with all the people who work at the foundation.’
Tiziano Perez to leave the Dutch Foundation for Literature at the end of 2023
Tiziano Perez has announced that he will leave as managing director of the Dutch Foundation for Literature at the end of 2023. By then he will have led the national culture foundation for ten years, having been involved with the organization in other roles before that. The Supervisory Board will begin the search for a successor.
Laura Pignatti receives Dutch Foundation for Literature’s Translation Prize 2024
The 2024 Dutch Foundation for Literature’s Translation Prize goes to Laura Pignatti, the Italian translator of authors including Anjet Daanje, Edward van de Vendel and Hella Haasse. Laura Pignatti’s role as translator and trailblazer for Dutch literature is impossible to overstate. She moves effortlessly between contemporary Dutch novels and children’s books, but is also able to recreate classic works with skill and style. The Dutch Foundation for Literature’s Translation Prize is awarded to literary translators who have distinguished themselves both by the high quality of their oeuvre and by their efforts as ambassadors for literary translation in general. The winner receives the sum of €15,000. The prize will be presented at SPUI25 in Amsterdam on Wednesday 11 December.
Ellen Deckwitz wins Italian Poetry Prize Premio Ciampi
The Premio Ciampi, Italy's most prestigious poetry prize, goes to Ellen Deckwitz (b. 1982) for her poetry collection 'Hogere Natuurkunde' (Higher Physics). The Premio Ciampi is awarded for the first time to a Dutch poet.
Annejan Mieras wins Gouden Griffel for best Children's Book
'The Little Universe' (Het kleine heelal), written by Annejan Mieras has been awarded with the Gouden Griffel, a Dutch prize for the best children's book of the year. The Gouden Penseel for the best illustrated children's book goes to Jeska Verstegen. She receives the award for her illustrations in 'The rope and the truth' (Het touw en de waarheid) written by Marco Kunst.