MARIËT MEESTER
Dutch author Mariët Meester spent
her childhood in Veenhuizen, a
prison village where inhabitants
and inmates lived together
surrounded by ‘No Trespassing’
signs. She writes both fiction and
literary non-fiction. Important
themes in her novels are the
dilemmas that man faces when
trying to preserve his humanity in
difficult circumstances. Her non-
fiction often deals with closed
communities, similar to the one in
which she grew up herself.
De tribune van de armen - Menselijkheid in Malaga
The Tribune of the Poor - Humaneness in Malaga
Personal investigation into the tradition of releasing
each year one sentenced criminal in Málaga during
an Easter procession.
literary non-fiction
1st edition Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2017
3rd edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2023
Spanish translation
La Tribuna de los Pobres
Ediciones del Genal 2019, Málaga. Translation: Inge
Luken
Koloniekak - Leven in een gevangenisdorp
Colony Posh. Life in a prison village
In ten stories based on the memories of former
residents Meester depicts the peculiar Dutch
prison village Veenhuizen
Het Drentse Boek, 142 pag.
1st edition 2012, 7th edition 2023
De mythische oom
The Mythical Uncle
Literary non-fiction about the American uncle of
Mariët Meester, who survived leukemia thanks to a
stem cell transplant. The donor was her father.
Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2012, 288 pag.
Liefdeslied van een reiziger
A Traveller's Love Song
A man leaves home accompanied by his cat. A
journey across Europe brings him face to face with
the history of his life.
novel, Uitgeverij Balans 2009, 256 pag.
Sla een spijker in mijn hart
Roemeense Roma na de revolutie
Drive a Nail through my Heart - Romanian Roma after
the Revolution
description and reviews
video
passage in Italian: Piantami un chiodo nel cuore - I
Rom Rumeni dopo la rivoluzione
non-fiction, Uitgeverij Balans 2006, 336 pag.
De overstroming
The Flood
novel, 1st edition Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 2003
2nd edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2020
A young woman retreats to a terp in the Dutch polder
landscape. When the terp is isolated from the outside
world by a flood, she suddenly has to rely on the other
residents. In a contemporary version of the Flood myth,
Mariët Meester writes about the human urge to
survive. A grim but moving story unfolds.
English sample by Stacey Knecht. German sample by
Birgit Erdmann. Spanish sample by Goedele de Sterck.
De verdwaalde nomade
The Nomad Who Lost His Way
Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 2000, 208 pag.
Travel stories about nomad people in Romania,
Mali and India.
De stilte voor het vuur
The Calm before the Fire
Travelstory, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1992, 192 pag.
Sevillana
novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1990, 220 pag.
2nd edition Uitgeverij Auteursdomein 2007
Pingping
Shiners
While Lily, the main character of Pingping, is
looking for a more simple way of life, her
opponents try to drag in as much 'pingping'
(money) as possible. A tragicomedy with absurd
features.
novel, 272 pag., Uitgeverij Caprae 2020
Read more in Dutch…
De eerste zonde
The first Sin
novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1997, 194 pag.
4th edition Uitgeverij Balans 2005
5th edition Rainbow 2007
Translated essays
- Die Kühe der Kronprinzessin - essay for Haus für Poesie 2021, Berlin
- The Protagonist - essay in international literary magazine Asymptote, translation Stacey
Knecht
- Oblomov as a woman - Essay, World PEN-congres, Macedonia 2002. Translation in
English: Alissa Leigh. Published in literary magazine in Macedonia.
Hollands Siberië
The Dutch Siberia
Novel set in 'the worst village in the Netherlands',
the penal colony Veenhuizen. During WWII a
Franciscan priest joins the resistance together with
his housekeeper. Based on a true story.
1st edition Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2014
5th edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2021
De volmaakte man
The Perfect Man
novel, Uitgeverij Balans 2005, 256 pag.
Bokkezang
Bucksong
Novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1994, 240 pages.
Russian translation: Amphora Publishers, St. Petersburg 2002.
Translation: Irina Michailova.
Story about a young couple of which the man is silent and the
woman tries to find out the cause of his silence. In retrospect she
recalls their shared history.
Sample in English (Bucksong), in German (Bocksgesang), in
Spanish (El canto de la cabra) and in Portuguese (Canto de bode)
Koloniekind
Colony Child
Memoir about the author's childhood in the
prison village of Veenhuizen. During her
childhood the lives of the residents and the
inmates were so intertwined, that little Mariet
went to kindergarten in a bus with barred
windows.
non-fiction, 288 pag., De Arbeiderspers 2022
Read more in Dutch…
Een vrij leven
A Free Life
I told my teacher that 'becoming free' was my
goal in life, in all respects, also materially.
Letting go of things. Not wanting to have or
appropriate. Not bigger and more, just smaller
and less. He thought it was a utopia, I didn't.
In the eighties, a time when sustainability and
climate change were hardly discussed, Mariët
Meester ended up in France and built a 'covered
bed on wheels' with her boyfriend from
materials from the garbage dump. When they
travel around in their tiny house with a horse as
a draft animal, they discover that not everyone
appreciates their good intentions. In A Free Life,
Meester looks back on ten intense, sometimes
reckless years in which she made radical
choices. The experiences from that time
brought insights that would guide her for the
rest of her life.
non-fiction, 304 pag., De Arbeiderspers 2025
Read more in Dutch…
Dutch
author
Mariët
Meester
spent
her
childhood
in
Veenhuizen,
a
prison
village
where
inhabitants
and
inmates
lived
together
surrounded
by
‘No
Trespassing’
signs.
She
writes
both
fiction
and
literary
non-fiction.
Important
themes
in
her
novels
are
the
dilemmas
that
man
faces
when
trying
to
preserve
his
humanity
in
difficult
circumstances.
Her
non-fiction
often
deals
with
closed
communities,
similar
to
the
one
in which she grew up herself.
De tribune van de armen - Menselijkheid in
Malaga
(The Tribune of the Poor - Humaneness in
Malaga)
literary non-fiction
1st edition Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2017
3rd edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2023
Personal investigation into the tradition of
releasing each year one sentenced criminal
in Málaga during an Easter procession.
Spanish translation
La Tribuna de los Pobres
Ediciones del Genal 2019, Málaga. Translation:
Inge Luken
Koloniekak - Leven in een gevangenisdorp
(Colony Posh. Life in a prison village)
Stichting Het Drentse Boek 2012, 142 pag.
1st edition 2012, 7th edition 2023
In ten stories based on the memories of
former residents Meester depicts the
peculiar Dutch prison village Veenhuizen.
De mythische oom
(The Mythical Uncle)
Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2012, 288 pag.
Literary non-fiction about the American
uncle of Mariët Meester, who survived
leukemia thanks to a stem cell transplant.
The donor was her father.
Liefdeslied van een reiziger
(A Traveller's Love Song)
Uitgeverij Balans 2009, 256 pag.
A man leaves home accompanied by his cat.
A journey across Europe brings him face to
face with the history of his life.
Sla een spijker in mijn hart
Roemeense Roma na de revolutie
(Drive a Nail through my Heart - Romanian
Roma after the Revolution)
non-fiction, Uitgeverij Balans 2006, 336 pag.
- description and reviews
- video
- Piantami un chiodo nel cuore - I Rom
Rumeni dopo la rivoluzione
- passage in Italian
De overstroming
(The Flood)
1st edition Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 2003
2nd edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2020
A young woman retreats to a terp in the
Dutch polder landscape. When the terp is
isolated from the outside world by a flood,
she suddenly has to rely on the other
residents. In a contemporary version of the
Flood myth, Mariët Meester writes about the
human urge to survive. A grim but moving
story unfolds.
English sample by Stacey Knecht.
German sample by Birgit Erdmann.
Spanish sample by Goedele de Sterck.
Landschap met dieren
Landscape with animals - short story
Februari boekhandels 2001, 20 pag.
Landschaft mit Tiere, űbersetzung im
Deutsch: Gregor Seferens
Paisaje con animales, traducción en
Español: Ana Crespo Solans
De verdwaalde nomade
(The Nomad Who Lost His Way)
Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 2000, 208 pag.
Travel stories about nomad people in
Romania, Mali and India.
De stilte voor het vuur
(The Calm before the Fire)
Travelstory
Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1992, 192 pag.
Sevillana
novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1990, 220 pag.
2nd edition Uitgeverij Auteursdomein 2007
Pingping
(Shiners)
novel, 272 pag., Uitgeverij Caprae 2020
Read more in Dutch…
While Lily, the main character of Pingping, is
looking for a more simple way of life, her
opponents try to drag in as much 'pingping'
(money) as possible. A tragicomedy with
absurd features.
Bokkezang
(Bucksong)
Novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1994, 240 pages.
Russian translation: Amphora Publishers, St.
Petersburg 2002. Translation: Irina Michailova.
Story about a young couple of which the man
is silent and the woman tries to find out the
cause of his silence. In retrospect she recalls
their shared history.
Sample in English (Bucksong), in German
(Bocksgesang), in Spanish (El canto de la
cabra), in Portuguese (Canto de bode)
De eerste zonde
(The first Sin)
novel, Uitgeverij Meulenhoff 1997, 194 pag.
4th edition Uitgeverij Balans 2005
5th edition Rainbow 2007
Translated essays
- Die Kühe der Kronprinzessin - essay for
Haus für Poesie 2021, Berlin
- The Protagonist - essay in international literary magazine Asymptote, translation Stacey Knecht - Oblomov as a woman - Essay, World PEN- congres, Macedonia 2002. Translation in English: Alissa Leigh. Published in literary magazine in Macedonia.
Hollands Siberië
The Dutch Siberia
1st edition Uitgeverij De Arbeiderspers 2014
5th edition Uitgeverij Caprae 2021
Novel set in 'the worst village in the
Netherlands', the penal colony Veenhuizen.
During WWII a Franciscan priest joins the
resistance together with his housekeeper.
Based on a true story.
De volmaakte man
(The Perfect Man)
novel, Uitgeverij Balans 2005, 256 pag.
Koloniekind
(Colony Child)
Memoir about the author's childhood in the
prison village of Veenhuizen. During her
childhood the lives of the residents and the
inmates were so intertwined, that little Mariet
went to kindergarten in a bus with barred
windows.
non-fiction, 288 pag., De Arbeiderspers 2022
Read more in Dutch…
MARIËT MEESTER
Een vrij leven
(A Free Life)
I told my teacher that 'becoming free' was
my goal in life, in all respects, also materially.
Letting go of things. Not wanting to have or
appropriate. Not bigger and more, just
smaller and less. He thought it was a utopia,
I didn't.
In the eighties, a time when sustainability
and climate change were hardly discussed,
Mariët Meester ended up in France and built
a 'covered bed on wheels' with her boyfriend
from materials from the garbage dump.
When they travel around in their tiny house
with a horse as a draft animal, they discover
that not everyone appreciates their good
intentions. In A Free Life, Meester looks back
on ten intense, sometimes reckless years in
which she made radical choices. The
experiences from that time brought insights
that would guide her for the rest of her life.
non-fiction, 304 pag., De Arbeiderspers 2025.
Read more in Dutch…