J. Hendrik van Balen

Johan Hendrik van Balen (1851–1921) was a Dutch author whose work appeared in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Records in the Digital Library for Dutch Literature list a steady run of books under his name, showing an author especially drawn to history, travel, and adventure.

His known works include Tafereelen uit den oorlog met Atchin voor de jeugd (1875), De slavenhaler (1884), De commandant van de negerjagers (1890), De kroon van Mataram (1890), De verborgenheden van Tirtyassa (1891), Een jaar uit logeeren (1901), and Om de Hertogskroon (1903). These titles suggest a writer who liked vivid settings and dramatic storytelling, often shaping distant places and past conflicts into accessible reading for young audiences.

Other sources describe him not only as a novelist but also as a translator, with links to Dutch editions connected to popular adventure writers such as Karl May. A recent historical article also notes that he worked as a civil servant in The Hague before becoming a publisher and printer in 1889. No suitable confirmed portrait image was found from the pages available during this search.