author
Melis Stoke
1892–1942
Known to many readers by the pen name Melis Stoke, this Dutch journalist and writer brought wit and sharp observation to his work before his life was cut short in the Second World War. His story gives his books an added sense of humanity and history.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Amsterdam on March 24, 1892, Herman Salomonson wrote much of his fiction under the name Melis Stoke. He left engineering studies in Delft for journalism and literature, and became known as a Dutch journalist, writer, and poet.
During his career he worked in journalism in both the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies. His writing under the Melis Stoke name included fiction and autobiographical work, often marked by humor and a clear, observant style.
Salomonson was of Jewish heritage, and during the German occupation of the Netherlands he was arrested in 1940. He was killed in Mauthausen concentration camp on October 7, 1942. Today, the name Melis Stoke is remembered both for the lively books he left behind and for the life that was violently interrupted.