Dimitri Verhulst

Dimitri Verhulst (b. 1972) is one of the most successful contemporary writers in the Dutch language. He produces a steady stream of literary work which has been translated into 25 languages. He is renowned for his pitch-black worldview, his tragicomedies, juicy language, social engagement and intimate portraits. Verhulst’s style can only be described as ‘Verhulstian’: raw, archaic and with an eye for the grotesque. His texts are suffused with alliteration, rhyme and word play. Many of his characters inhabit the fringes of society and it is these people he wants to give a voice. He draws extensively on his own life, including his childhood, for his novels.

Photo © Ringel Goslinga