Prize for Mastership 2009 for Gerrit Kouwenaar

The Prize for Mastership 2009, awarded once every five years by the Maatschappij der Nederlandse Letterkunde (Society of Dutch Literature), goes to Gerrit Kouwenaar. The jury report says: ‘Without exaggeration one can argue that, for a long time, Kouwenaar has been regarded our greatest living poet. This can be concluded from the prizes he has won, the large number of reviews and studies which have been written about his poetry over the years, and from the unmistakable influence he has had on the work of younger colleagues. His poems make a literally perfect impression. Kouwenaar has worked on each poem until it met his high standards.’

This prize, consisting of a gold medallion, was established in 1920 and is alternately awarded to the categories Belles Lettres, Dutch Language and Literature, and History and Archeology. Previous laureates for the Prize for Mastership include Hugo Claus, Ida Gerhardt, S. Vestdijk, Henriette Roland Holst and P.C. Boutens.

Published: March 13, 2009 news