Stijn Streuvels

Stijn Streuvels (3 October 1871, Heule, Kortrijk - 15 August 1969, Ingooigem, Anzegem), born Franciscus (Frank) Petrus Maria Lateur, was a Flemish Belgian writer. He started writing at a very young age. He was inspired by his uncle, the celebrated poet Guido Gezelle. Until 1905 he worked as a baker at Avelghem, a village near Kortrijk. Initially his work was published in an insignificant magazine, De jonge Vlaming (The young Fleming). Soon he was discovered by the editors of a new magazine, Van Nu en Straks (From Now and Soon). After their first encounter, Emmanuel de Bom became his mentor and advised him to publish his work in book form.

In 1905 he married Alida Staelens. They had 4 children: Paula (1906), Paul (1909), Dina (1916) and Isa (1922). In 1980 their house became a museum dedicated to Streuvels.

Streuvels work usually deals with the rural life of poor farmers in Flanders. De Teleurgang van de Waterhoek was made into a film titled Mira. Also De vlaschaard (twice) and De blijde dag were filmed.

In 1937 and 1938 Streuvels garnered the majority of the Nobel Committee votes for his receiving the literature Nobel Prize, but each time the Academy awarded the prize to someone else: in 1937 he had to give way to Roger Martin du Gard and in 1938 to a new discovery, Pearl Buck. He became doctor honoris causa at the University of Leuven, the University of Münster and the University of Pretoria.