Magazine maker Els Rozenbroek receives a special professional award. The Mercur d’Or/LOF Prize for Magazines recognizes a longstanding and remarkable achievement in the Dutch magazine market. The award – for a person or a magazine brand – has been awarded since 2000 and is a collaboration between the Magazine Media Association (MMA) and the Lucas-Ooms Fund (LOF). The 21st oeuvre prize has been awarded by the boards of the MMA and the LOF to Els Rozenbroek, a unique talent who has set the tone for many magazines in the Netherlands for 45 years. As (final) editor, magazine maker and columnist.
Best kept secret of the magazine world
Els Rozenbroek, recently called ‘the best kept secret of the magazine world’ in an interview with Cécile Koekkoek in Volkskrant Magazine, started in 1977 as an editor at Libelle, in 1980 she became editor-in-chief of the Belgian Flair and later of Story. In 1987 she started as editor-in-chief of Children, in 1994 of Top Santé and in 1998 of Vrouw Today. She has been a freelancer since 2002, including for LINDA. and Sarah Magazine.
Read the Volkskrant article about Els Rozenbroek via this link.
Rosemary de Witte about Els Rozenbroek
With Rozemarijn de Witte, among others founding editor of LINDA. and in 2004 a Mercur d’Or winner herself, she was one of the founders of LINDA. De Witte: “God, Els has deserved that Mercur d’Or. She makes the difference. Her mind works fast and is razor sharp. She puts her finger on the sore spot, doesn’t mince words and doesn’t care about conventions. She birded LINDA’s bold tone. out, full of humor, emotion and self-mockery. With headlines such as ‘Shut up with your apple pie’, ‘You have to lie’, ‘Human or clump of cells’, ‘Just break your jaw’, ‘Bitch bullshit must be banned’ and ‘Kick those kids out of your bed’. Els is by far the best text editor in the Netherlands. With dot. With distance. If you put ‘Pinktje weeps’ in a portrait gallery about men with a micropenis, you are brilliant.”
Barbara van Erp about Els Rozenbroek
With Barbara van Erp and Femke Sterken, Els Rozenbroek founded SAAR Magazine, which was awarded the Mercur Launch of the Year in 2016. In January of this year, the SAAR podcast at, in which Rozenbroek, Van Erp and Sterken talk candidly with each other every week, among other things about Els’ disease. The podcast has already reached more than 100,000 listeners. Barbara van Erp and Femke Sterken: “We were so incredibly proud when Els decided to work for Saar 7 years ago. With us! A tiny new company and magazine that still had to prove itself. We made so many nice things and we laughed (and cried, stressed and argued). A close, deep friendship grew out of it. We take everything we have learned from Els with us. But ‘making leaves’ will never be as fun as it used to be.”
Franska Stuy about Els Rozenbroek
For the largest women’s weekly in the Netherlands, Libelle, she wrote Dagboek van Juul every week for 17 years. Franska Stuy, Mercur d’Or winner 2011, worked as editor-in-chief of Libelle for over 12.5 years with Els Rozenbroek: “Finally the Mercur d’Or for Els. It was her fault that I had to and would have that expensive bottle of Chanel nail polish. ‘French manicure in five minutes’ she had above the photo in LINDA. put. With open eyes, even a seasoned magazine maker like me gardened in it. Every headline, every cover text, every intro or line that passed through her hands turned into a gem. A very deep bow to the one and only and best editor ever.”
Previous winners Mercur d’Or/LOF Prize for Magazines
The Mercur d’Or/LOF Prize has been awarded since 2000. Past winners are:
2019 – Jaap Biemans; 2018 – FLOW; 2017 – Luc van Os; 2016 – Blendle; 2015 – Jildou van der Bijl; 2014 – vtwonen; 2013 – Arendo Joustra; 2012 – Donald Duck; 2011 – Franska Stuy; 2010 – Free Netherlands; 2009 – Jacques de Leeuw; 2008 – Cisca Dresselhuys; 2007 – Veronica Magazine; 2006 – Auke Visser; 2005 – Margaret; 2004 – Rosemary de Witte; 2003 – Rob van Vuure; 2002 – Dragonfly; 2001 – Rupert van Woerkom; 2000 – Elsevier.
credit: Photo Els Rozenbroek made by Judith Jockel