Cornelis Johannes Kieviet

Born in Hoofddorp in 1858, Cornelis Johannes Kieviet worked as a teacher before becoming widely known as a writer of children's books. He is most closely associated with Dik Trom, the mischievous but good-hearted boy who became one of the classic characters of Dutch children's literature.

Kieviet's background in the classroom mattered to his writing. Sources describe him as a teacher who felt children deserved livelier reading than the overly moralizing books common at the time, and that spirit shows in the humor and energy of his stories.

He continued to be remembered long after his death in 1931, especially through the enduring popularity of the Dik Trom books. For many readers, his work stands at the meeting point of schoolroom experience, playful storytelling, and the early history of modern children's fiction in the Netherlands.