Eugène Drenthe
Eugène Drenthe
Born
Eugène Constantijn Donders Drenthe

12 December 1925
Laarwijk, Surinam
Died30 March 2009(2009-03-30) (aged 83)
Rotterdam, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Occupation(s)Playwright and poet

Eugène Constantijn Donders Drenthe (12 December 1925 in Laarwijk, Surinam – 30 March 2009 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was a prominent Surinamese poet and playwright.[1]

Biography

Drenthe was born in Laarwijk, Surinam,[1] as an illegitimate child of Louise Drenthe and the local police officer who was also the parish clerk. Drenthe used to talk about it as if it was normal.[2] This down-to-earth attitude also characterized his plays which showed the normal life of the Creoles in Suriname.[3] The plays were successful, Geheim in het gezin was performed 57 times in Suriname.[3] Drenthe produced 25 plays in all, which include Rudy (1959), Kedjaman (1969) and Djomp abra (1977).[4] From 1968 onwards, the plays of Drenthe were being performed outside of Suriname. First to Curaçao, Aruba, and Puerto Rico, and later to the Netherlands.[3]

Drenthe was one of the founding members and first president of NAKS. NAKS was founded in 1948 as a social and cultural organization which promotes Afro-Surinamese culture and expression.[5] In 1982 Drenthe started to publish poetry in Dutch and Sranan Tongo. His first publication was Skuma/Schuim (1982).[4]

Drenthe was offered a knighthood in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1972, but refused to accept it, because he had done nothing special.[2] He moved to the Netherlands in 1977.[3] He died on 30 March 2009 in Rotterdam, at the age of 83.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jones, Sam (2009-04-01). "In Memoriam: Eugène Drenthe". Radio Nederland Wereldomroep. Archived from the original on 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-04-14.
  2. 1 2 "Eugène Drenthe is er tussenuit gepiept". Werkgroup Caraibische Letteren (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Een geschiedenis van de Surinaamse literatuur - Eugène Drenthe (1926)". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 1989. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Surinaamse schrijvers en dichters". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "NAKS 65 jaar". GFC Nieuws via Nieuws Suriname (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 May 2020.
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