Van vijf moderne dichters

Willem Kloos

1859–1938

A leading voice in the Dutch literary revival of the 1880s, he helped push poetry toward a more personal, musical, and emotionally intense style. He is remembered both for his verse and for the fierce criticism that made him a central figure in modern Dutch literature.

Wies Moens

1898–1982

A leading voice in 20th-century Flemish literature, his early poetry was noted for its intense, idealistic energy. His life also moved through the storms of Belgian nationalism, making his work inseparable from the politics of his era.

C. Th. (Carel Theodorus) Scharten

1878–1950

A Dutch novelist, poet, and critic whose life and work stretched from Zeeland to Florence, he is especially remembered for the books he wrote with his wife, Margo Scharten-Antink. His career also took an unusual turn onto the Olympic stage, where the pair won a bronze medal for literature in 1928.

Margot Vos

1891–1985

A Dutch poet and writer with strong socialist convictions, she turned the hardship she saw around her into clear, compassionate work for both adults and younger readers. Her poems and stories stayed closely tied to ordinary people and to a lifelong concern for the oppressed.