author
Emile Cammaerts
1878–1953
A Belgian poet, playwright, and historian who built a literary bridge between Belgium and Britain, he became especially known for writing about his homeland for English readers during the world wars.
2 Audiobooks
Through the Iron Bars: Two Years of German Occupation in Belgium
by Emile Cammaerts
Belgium: From the Roman Invasion to the Present Day
by Emile Cammaerts
About the author
Born in Saint-Gilles, Belgium, on March 16, 1878, Émile Cammaerts wrote in both English and French and moved to England in 1908. He built a varied career as a poet, playwright, translator, and public intellectual, helping British readers understand Belgian history, culture, and politics.
His best-known work includes poetry shaped by the First World War, along with books on Belgian themes and a noted biography of King Albert I. He also translated writers such as John Ruskin and G. K. Chesterton into French, showing how comfortably he moved between literary traditions.
Cammaerts later served as Professor of Belgian Studies and Institutions at the University of London and remained an important interpreter of Belgium to British audiences. He died in Radlett, Hertfordshire, on November 2, 1953.