Joke van Leeuwen

Joke van Leeuwen was born in The Hague in 1952 and studied art, graphics and history in Brussels and Antwerp. She toured with her own cabaret programs until 1985. She made her debut as an author with »De Appelmoesstraat is anders« [1978; tr: The Apple Sauce Street Is Different]. Around fifty more books have followed to date. Many of her works are available in German translation. Among the best known are »Deesje« [1985], »Kweenie« [2003], »Een halve hond heel denken: Een boek over kijken« [2008], and »Toen mijn vader een struik werd« [2010].

A special feature of van Leeuwen’s books is that she not only writes them, but also illustrates them. Word and image are closely linked in her work. Sketches, collages, symbols, and designs flow into the text, which alternates between monologue, dialog, descriptions, letters, notes, letter games, and onomatopoeia. In terms of content, van Leeuwen’s books are characterized by themes that revolve around the needs and dreams of children. Van Leeuwen’s most recently published work in German, »Ik ben HIER!« [2022; tr: I Am Here!] tells the story of a girl who is forgotten in a high-rise office building during an evacuation due to flooding. Despite the fear and loneliness she is repeatedly confronted with, the young heroine knows how to help herself in creative ways. In the abandoned building, she discovers not only objects to ensure her survival, but also an unusual adventure playground. According to Deutschlandfunk, the work is »A beautiful balancing act between the horror that is always there, but it is also incredibly funny«.

Van Leeuwen has received numerous awards for her literary and illustrative work, including the German Youth Literature Prize [1988] and the inaugural James Krüss Prize for International Children’s and Youth Literature [2013]. She has been nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, as well as for the German Youth Literature Prize in 1986, 2000, 2006, and 2013. In addition to her work as an author for children and adults, she also writes plays.

The author lives in Antwerp.

Ein Haus mit sieben Zimmern
Sauerländer
Aarau, 1983
[Tr: Marie-Thérèse Schins-Machleidt]

Deesje macht das schon
Beltz & Gelberg
Weinheim, 1988
[Tr: Mirjam Pressler]

Weißnich
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2005
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]

Augenblick mal
Was wir sehen, wenn wir sehen, und warum
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2012
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]

Als mein Vater ein Busch wurde und ich meinen Namen verlor
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2012
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]

Die erstaunliche Geschichte von Frederik
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2015
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]

Als ich mal
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2021
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]

Ich bin hier!
Gerstenberg
Hildesheim, 2024
[Tr: Hanni Ehlers]