author
Elizabeth Bekker Wolff
1738–1804
Best known for helping shape the Dutch novel, this lively 18th-century writer won lasting fame through the witty, observant letters of Sara Burgerhart. Her work with Agatha Deken brought everyday life, moral debate, and sharp social insight into fiction in a fresh new way.
1 Audiobook
Historie van Mejuffrouw Sara Burgerhart
by Elizabeth Bekker Wolff, Agatha Deken
About the author
Born in Vlissingen on July 24, 1738, Elisabeth "Betje" Bekker—often known as Betje Wolff—grew up in a prosperous family and began publishing early. She wrote poetry and prose, and her independent streak became part of her reputation long before she was widely celebrated as a novelist.
After marrying the Dutch Reformed minister Adriaan Wolff in 1759, she continued to write. Following his death in 1777, she formed a close literary partnership with fellow writer Agatha Deken. Together they produced the epistolary novels that made them famous, especially De historie van mejuffrouw Sara Burgerhart (1782), often described as the first Dutch novel, and Willem Leevend.
Her fiction is remembered for its lively voice, moral energy, and close attention to ordinary people and social manners. Wolff died in The Hague on November 5, 1804, the same year as Deken, and the two remain one of the best-known collaborative partnerships in Dutch literary history.