author
Maarten Maartens
1858–1915
A Dutch novelist who chose to write in English, he was widely read in Britain and the United States around the turn of the 20th century. His fiction is known for sharp social observation, moral tension, and vivid portraits of Dutch life.
1 Audiobook
My Lady Nobody: A Novel
by Maarten Maartens
About the author
Born Jozua Marius Willem van der Poorten Schwartz in Amsterdam on August 15, 1858, he wrote under the pen name Maarten Maartens. Part of his childhood was spent in London, and that early exposure to English helped shape the language he would later use for most of his work.
Maartens published poetry before turning to fiction, and he became best known for novels and stories that brought Dutch settings and characters to an international readership. Readers in Britain and the United States admired his ability to mix satire, sympathy, and careful attention to social and religious pressures.
Though he was famous in his lifetime, his reputation faded after his death in Doorn on August 3, 1915. Even so, his work remains interesting for the way it bridges Dutch and English literary worlds and for the clarity with which it examines conscience, family, and society.