Hugo Claus (1929-2008) ranks as the most important Flemish writer after the WWII. His supremely realistic work broke with a traditional way of writing. Characteristic of this early work is a suprising and powerful style combined with an effervescent use of language. Later his prose became more sober in tone but the poetic force has always remained, as has his ability to cause a sensation. His wide-ranging oeuvre consists of novels, stories, poems, plays and film scripts. Claus has received more than fifty prizes, including seven Belgian or Flemish National Awards, several Dutch awards, he also received the Belgian-Dutch Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren (1986), the most important literary prize for a Dutch writing author. International prizes include the Prix Lugné-Poë (1955), the Ford Foundation Grant (1959), the Prix International Pier Paolo Pasolini (1997), the Aristeion Literature Prize (1998), the Premio Nonino (2000) and the Preis für Europäische Poesie (2001).
Recent titles:
Een zachte vernieling (A Gentle Destruction), 2020
De geruchten (The Rumours), 2018