A.F.Th. van der Heijden

Adrianus Franciscus Theodorus van der Heijden (born 15 October 1951) is a Dutch writer.

Van der Heijden was born in Geldrop, and studied psychology and philosophy in Nijmegen. After moving to Amsterdam he turned to writing. His first two books appeared under the pseudonym Patrizio Canaponi: the short story collection Een gondel in de Herengracht ("A Gondola in the Herengracht", 1978, Anton Wachter Prize, 1979) and the novel De draaideur ("The Revolving Door", 1979). Van der Heijden then began publishing under his own name in the 80s. Van der Heijden has won many awards, including all the big Dutch literary awards: the 2013 P. C. Hooft Award for his entire oeuvre, the 2012 Libris Literatuur Prijs for Tonio, and the 2007 AKO Literatuurprijs for Het schervengericht and the 1997 AKO Literatuurprijs for Onder het plaveisel het moeras. Some of Van der Heijden's books have been translated into German, Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Spanish and Bulgarian.

Van der Heijden (or A.F.Th. as he is called among book lovers) is most known for his multi-novel saga De tandeloze tijd ("The Toothless Time") about his alter-ego Albert Egberts. The saga describes his youth in Geldrop, his student days in Nijmegen and his life afterward in Amsterdam in the seventies and eighties.

In 2003 Van der Heijden started a new saga: Homo Duplex, based on characters of the Greek tragedies in a contemporary setting.

Awards and honors

2013 P.C. Hooft-prijs 2012 Libris Literatuur Prijs, winner, Tonio 2011 Constantijn Huygens Prize 2009 De Inktaap, winner, Het schervengericht 2008 Tzumprijs voor de beste literaire zin, winner, Mim 2007 AKO Literatuurprijs, winner, Het schervengericht 2003 Schrijversprijs der Brabantse Letteren 1997 Golden Owl, winner, Het Hof van Barmhartigheid & Onder het Plaveisel het Moeras 1997 AKO Literatuurprijs, winner, Onder het plaveisel het moeras 1986 Ferdinand Bordewijk Prijs, winner, De gevarendriehoek 1986 Multatuliprijs, winner, De gevarendriehoek 1979 Anton Wachterprijs, winner, Bouwval