Writer Anjet Daanje has won the Constantijn Huygens Prize for her literary oeuvre, which consists of novels, screenplays, short stories and a collection of translated and her own poems. The jury of the Jan Campert Foundation announced this on Tuesday. According to the jury members, Daanje has built a “literary universe” that is “unparalleled in terms of span and narrative drive.”
Also read this interview with Anjet Daanje: ‘Halfway through I always think: why don’t I write a normal book?’
Daanje broke through with The Remembered Soldierwhich was awarded the F. Bordewijk Prize in 2020. With the novel The song of stork and dromedary Daanje won the Boekenbon Literature Prize 2022 and the Libris Literature Prize 2023. “Her books show the power of the imagination and are close to the skin of our time,” said the jury, who are impressed by “the overwhelming power of this idiosyncratic oeuvre”.
An amount of 12,000 euros is associated with the Constantijn Huygens Prize. Jury chairman Aad Meinderts called Daanje with the news that she will receive the Huygens prize, to which Daanje (58) responded: “I thought you had to be at least 70 for that!”. The prize will be awarded next year on Sunday 21 January.