Elizabeth Bekker Wolff

Born in Vlissingen on July 24, 1738, Elisabeth "Betje" Bekker—often known as Betje Wolff—became one of the most notable Dutch writers of the eighteenth century. She married the minister Adriaan Wolff in 1759 and published poetry and prose before becoming especially famous for her fiction.

After her husband's death in 1777, she formed a close literary partnership with Agatha "Aagje" Deken. Together they wrote widely read epistolary novels, including Sara Burgerhart (1782) and Willem Levend (1784). Sara Burgerhart is often described as the first Dutch novel, and the pair's work is still remembered for its lively voices and its close attention to character and society.

Wolff died in The Hague on November 5, 1804, the same year as Deken. She is remembered not only for her own talent, but also for one of the great literary collaborations in Dutch literature.