author
Antoon Frans Thiry
1888–1954
A Flemish writer and publisher, he moved between folklore-rich storytelling and the political turbulence of early 20th-century Belgium. He is best remembered for co-writing the 1911 debut Begijnhofsproken with Felix Timmermans and for later founding the publishing house Die Poorte.
1 Audiobook
Begijnhof-sproken
by Felix Timmermans, Antoon Frans Thiry
About the author
Born in Leuven on September 8, 1888, and later dying in Antwerp on July 13, 1954, he was a Flemish author whose work included novels, short prose, and publishing work. His literary debut came in 1911 with Begijnhofsproken, written together with Felix Timmermans.
Sources also describe him as a teacher, publisher, and the founder of the publishing house and book guild Die Poorte in Mortsel. During the First World War, he became involved in Flemish activist politics, and after the war he reportedly spent time in the Netherlands alongside Timmermans.
His reputation rests on a mix of storytelling and cultural engagement: he wrote fiction with a folkloric, atmospheric flavor while also playing a part in Flemish literary life beyond the page.