author
Margaretha Meijboom
1856–1927
A Dutch translator, feminist, and social reformer, she helped bring Scandinavian literature to new readers in the Netherlands. Her work opened doors for writers such as Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, and Selma Lagerlöf.
1 Audiobook
Niels Holgersson's Wonderbare Reis
by Selma Lagerlöf, Margaretha Meijboom
About the author
Born in Amsterdam in 1856, Margaretha Anna Sophia Meijboom, also known as Meyboom, became an important cultural bridge between Scandinavia and the Netherlands. She taught herself Danish as a teenager and went on to translate Scandinavian literature into Dutch, helping introduce major writers to a wider audience.
Meijboom was more than a translator. She was also a social worker and feminist who argued that women should have greater economic independence and a larger place in public life. Alongside her literary work, she was involved in cooperative and reform-minded projects that reflected those beliefs.
She died in 1927, but her legacy still stands out for the way she connected literature, social commitment, and women’s rights. For readers today, she remains a fascinating figure behind the spread of Scandinavian writing in Dutch-speaking culture.