Lucas Rijneveld (formerly Marieke Lucas Rijneveld; born 20 April 1991 in Nieuwendijk, the Netherlands) is a Dutch writer.[1][2] Rijneveld won the 2020 International Booker Prize together with their translator Michele Hutchison for the debut novel The Discomfort of Evening.[3] Rijneveld is the first Dutch author to win the prize,[4] the first non-binary person to do so[5] and only the third Dutch author to be nominated.
Lucas Rijneveld | |
---|---|
Born | Nieuwendijk, the Netherlands | 20 April 1991
Occupation | Writer, poet |
Genre | Novels, verse |
Years active | 2015–present |
Notable works | The Discomfort of Evening |
Notable awards | International Booker Prize 2020 |
Website | |
lucasrijneveld |
Life
editRijneveld grew up in a Reformed protestant family on a farm in North Brabant in the Netherlands.[1][6] Rijneveld has said that his debut novel, translated into English as The Discomfort of Evening, is inspired partly by the death of his brother when the author was three.[1] It took him six years to complete the novel.[7]
Rijneveld is said to have developed an interest in writing in primary school after reading J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, which he borrowed from the local library.[7][8] Because in Reformed circles references to magic are considered taboo, Rijneveld copied out the whole book onto his computer so he could re-read it upon returning the novel.[7] Rijneveld identifies as both male and female, and adopted the second first name Lucas at the age of nineteen, having been bullied in secondary school because of his "boyish appearance and nature".[9]
His name as a child was only Marieke, and he previously published under the name Marieke Lucas.[9] At the start of January 2022, Rijneveld announced that he uses he/him personal pronouns in English,[10] having previously used they/them pronouns,[11] and zij/haar (she/her) in Dutch.[12]
Rijneveld said Jan Wolkers, who also grew up in a Reformed environment, is his idol.[7] His interest in poetry was ignited while attending speech therapy sessions and looking at pictures with poetry on them while waiting for the therapy session. When Rijneveld started making progress in therapy, he was allowed to read those poems by the therapist.[9]
Rijneveld studied to become a Dutch teacher, but dropped out to focus on writing.[9] He published the poetry collection Kalfsvlies in 2015, and that same year was named the most promising new Dutch writer.[13] He broke through, nationally and internationally, with his debut novel The Discomfort of Evening, whose English translation received positive reviews and won the International Booker Prize in 2020. A second book of poetry followed in 2019 and a second novel, Mijn lieve gunsteling, in 2020.[14]
Rijneveld served on the editorial team of de Revisor, a Dutch literary periodical, in 2016.[15]
In 2021, Rijneveld was selected by American poet Amanda Gorman to translate her work into Dutch. Rijneveld initially accepted the commission, but later withdrew after Dutch journalist and cultural activist Janice Deul criticised the publisher for commissioning a white translator for the work of a black poet.[16]
Works
editPoetry collections
edit- Kalfsvlies, 2015 (English: Calf's caul, excerpts from which were translated into English by Sarah Timmer Harvey and shortlisted for Asymptote magazine's "Close Approximations" translation contest in 2017).[17][18]
- Fantoommerrie, 2019 (English: Phantom Mare)[19]
- Komijnsplitsers, 2022 (English: Hairsplitters, quibblers (literally: cumin splitters))[20]
Novels
edit- De avond is ongemak (2018). The Discomfort of Evening, translated by Michele Hutchison (Faber & Faber) ISBN 9780571349364.[21]
- Mijn lieve gunsteling (2020). My Heavenly Favourite, trans. Michele Hutchison (2024)[14][22]
Essays
editAwards
edit- Kalfsvlies, awarded the C. Buddingh’ Prize for best Dutch-language poetry debut in 2015.[24]
- De avond is ongemak, awarded the ANV Debutantenprijs, the prize for best debut novel in Dutch, in 2019.[25]
- Co-winner, with translator Michele Hutchison, of the 2020 International Booker Prize for The Discomfort of Evening.[3]
- Mijn lieve gunsteling, awarded the Boon,[26] fiction and non-fiction category, 2022
References
edit- ^ a b c Kinsella, Ana (27 February 2020). "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: the Dutch dairy farmer who wrote a bestseller". Dazed.
- ^ "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld". The Booker Prizes. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ a b Flood, Alison (26 August 2020). "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld wins International Booker for The Discomfort of Evening". The Guardian.
- ^ "Interview with longlisted author Marieke Lucas Rijneveld and translator Michele Hutchison". The Booker Prizes. Archived from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Quint, The (27 August 2020). "Dutch Author First Non-Binary Person to Win Intl Booker Prize". TheQuint. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
- ^ "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld: 'My stories all came back to the loss of my brother'". inews.co.uk. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld in Tims ^ tent: maar dan op een eiland". youtube.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ "'WAT ZAL MIJN FAMILIE ZEGGEN ALS DE DICHTBUNDEL UITKOMT?'". cjp.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d Berkeljon, Sara (2 February 2018). "'Me alleen Lucas noemen zou ik een te grote stap vinden, maar ik word nooit meer alleen Marieke'". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 August 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
- ^ Flood, Alison (2 April 2020). "International Booker prize shortlist led by 28-year-old's debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ Becker, Sander (8 October 2020). "Genderneutrale taal – Is het Nederlands klaar voor het genderneutrale 'Hen loopt'?". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, literaire belofte van 2015: 'Door al het succes heb ik een enorme werkdrift gekregen'". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 December 2020.(subscription required)
- ^ a b Mertens, Dieuwertje (6 November 2020). "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld – Mijn lieve gunsteling: het moet verdomde eenzaam zijn aan de top". Het Parool (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- ^ "Oud-redactieleden". de Revisor (in Dutch). Singel Uitgeverijen. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ Flood, Alison (1 March 2021). "'Shocked by the uproar': Amanda Gorman's white translator quits". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ "from Calf's Caul – Asymptote". www.asymptotejournal.com. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Close Approximations: In Conversation With Poetry Runner-up Sarah Timmer Harvey – Asymptote Blog". Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ L. Rijneveld, Marieke (April 2021). Fantoommerrie (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Atlas Contact Publishers. ISBN 9789025453459. OCLC 1292473292. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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ignored (help) - ^ L. Rijneveld, Marieke (January 2022). Komijnsplitsers (in Dutch). Amsterdam; Antwerp: Atlas Contact Publishers. ISBN 9789025471200. OCLC 1293293905. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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ignored (help) - ^ Briefly reviewed in the September 21, 2020 issue of The New Yorker, p.67.
- ^ "Book – My Heavenly Favourite". Nederlands Letterenfonds. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
- ^ Rijneveld, Marieke Lucas (2022). Het warmtefort. Amsterdam: Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek (Stichting CPNB). ISBN 9789059658837. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (poet) – The Netherlands – Poetry International". www.poetryinternational.org. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "news – Winners ANV Debutantenprijs – Letterenfonds". www.letterenfonds.nl. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- ^ "Boon voor literatuur | prijs met internationale uitstraling". www.deboon.be. Retrieved 24 March 2022.