Gerrit Achterberg [SEP] native language
Gerrit Achterberg
Gerrit Achterberg (20 May 1905 – 17 January 1962) was a Dutch poet. His early poetry concerned a desire to be united with a beloved in death.
Achterberg was born in Nederlangbroek in the Netherlands as the third son of a family of eight children. He was raised as a Protestant within the Calvinist tradition. His father was a coachman until the automobile gained popularity. Achterberg was a very good student, and in 1924 he embarked on a career as a teacher. In the same year,
, M. Vasalis, Jan van Nijlen, Karel Van de Woestijne, Gerrit Achterberg, and Marnix Gijsen, as well as French authors such as Valery Larbaud, Paul Valéry, and André Gide kwamen in zijn fonds voor. Between 1922 and 1942 Stols published over 550 books, which were known for their attractive typography and design, with the assistance of Jan van Krimpen and later Helmut Salden. John Buckland Wright illustrated a number of his books.
In 1951 Stols left for Latin America, where until 1962 he worked for UNESCO