A.F.Th. van der Heijden

Categories: 1951 births | Dutch writers | Dutch novelists

A.F.Th. van der Heijden was born in 1951 in Geldrop, the Netherlands. He initially studied psychology and philosophy in Nijmegen but 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 80-s.

This Dutch writer is an author of the most controversial book in contemporary Dutch and European literature: "Battle at the Blue bridge". This book is focused on the events surrounding Queen Beatrix coronation at April 30 1980. The whole event is seen through the eyes of social reject and ex-convict who is walking in the streets of Amsterdam at that particular day. He is witnessing violent clashes between police and anti-monarchist anarchist squatters who provoked a riot during a coronation, protesting against poor housing conditions and using the occasion to tackle the institution of monarchy and the idea of government authority in general. The novel's main character is only observing the brutal clashes without participating or taking sides. Riot brings the flashbacks to the important political events into his memory: from Vietnam war to the terrorist attacks in 70-s.

This book is seen by many sociologists as an founding stone for a growing anti-monarchist spirit in Netherlands, which since mid 80-s has left university campuses and intellectual clubs and made it's way into the programs of many well-established political organisations, including countries second largest party PvdA. Many European critics also saw the book as a closing chapter to the idea's of Sixties and Flower power generation in Europe.

This book is a prologue to "The Toothless Time" (De tandeloze tijd), a brilliant seven-volume saga about Amsterdam in the seventies and eighties which won international fame to A.F.Th van der Heijden, or AFT as he is called among book lovers.

A.F.Th. van der Heijden's books are translated at English, Russian, Japanese and most of European languages.

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Recent publications:

"The Court of Mercy" (Het hof van Barmhartigheid) "Under the Pavement the Morass" (Onder het plaveisel het moeras) "The Movo Tapes" (De Movo Tapes)