Gabriëlle Demedts (Wielsbeke, June 11, 1909 – Kortrijk, September 6, 2002) was a Flemish Belgian poet.[1][2][3] She was a sibling of André Demedts. In 1934 she wrote her first poems and in 1937 she published her first work "Een gevangene zingt" (The prisoner sings). As a young child she was struck by Poliomyelitis which has determined the rest of her life. In a book about the Declercq family, one can read that some of Demedts’ poems have been inspired by life-changing events in her life and that of the Declercqs.[4] She wrote, for instance, '’Rustig lied’' (quiet song) [5] and '’Lage tonen'’ (low vibes) [6] after a love break-up of her friend Valentine Declercq, or '’Zomer’' (Summer) [7] when Valentine was severely ill and dying. Later, she also wrote a poem, '’Ik heb gedaan...'’ (I am done…),[8] when Ernest Constant Declercq, Valentine’s father and a close friend of Gabrielle Demedts’ parents, had died.

Gabriëlle Demedts
Gabriëlle Demedts together with her brother André Demedts and with the Declercq family, around 1923.
Gabriëlle Demedts together with her brother André Demedts and with the Declercq family, around 1923.
BornWielsbeke, Belgium
DiedKortrijk, Belgium
Pen nameMaria Houtland
LanguageDutch
NationalityBelgian
CitizenshipBelgium

References

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  1. ^ H. van Buuren, ‘Is dit genoeg?’, in: Wending 36 (1981) 10, p. 562-566
  2. ^ Verthé, ‘Aandacht voor … Gabriëlle Demedts’, in: Vlaanderen 43 (1994) 251, p. 105-107
  3. ^ Chr. D’Haen, ‘Gabriëlle Demedts’, in: Verslagen en Medededelingen Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde (1997) 1, p. 37-42.
  4. ^ Declercq, Nico F. (2021). "chapters 34.5 and 34.9". The Desclergues of la Villa Ducal de Montblanc (First ed.). Kortrijk, Belgium. p. 1384. ISBN 9789083176901. Retrieved February 23, 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Gabrielle Demedts, 'Rustig lied', February 1934, Dietsche Warande en Belfort, Jaargang 1935, page 690.
  6. ^ Gabrielle Demedts, 'Lage tonen', February 1934, Dietsche Warande en Belfort, Jaargang 1936, page 19.
  7. ^ Gabrielle Demedts, 'Zomer', Dietsche Warande en Belfort, 1939
  8. ^ Gabrielle Demedts, 'Ik heb gedaan...', 'Dietsche Warande en Belfort', Jaargang 93, 1948, page 538.

Bibliography

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  • Een gevangene zingt (1937) (The prisoner sings)
  • Een twijg in de wind (1939) (A twig in the wind)
  • Morgen is alles uit (1940) (Tomorrow all is over)
  • Verloren thuis (1946) (Lost home)
  • De doorgang (1957) (Trespass)
  • Levensberichten en liederen (1974) (Poems and Songs about life)
  • Klanken van eeuwigheid in aardse stem (1974) (Songs of eternity in an earthly voice)
  • Verzamelde gedichten (1979) (Collected poems)
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