Erwin Mortier

Erwin Mortier
Erwin Mortier
Mortier in 2008
Born (1965-11-28) 28 November 1965 (age 58)
Nevele, Belgium
NationalityBelgian
Occupation(s)writer, poet, essayist
PartnerLieven Vandenhaute (late 1980s—present)[1]
Websiteerwinmortier.be

Erwin Mortier (born 28 November 1965) is a Dutch-language Belgian author. Spending his youth in Hansbeke, he later moved to nearby Ghent, where he became city poet (2005–2006).[2]

He wrote as a columnist for newspapers like De Morgen and published several novels:

  • Marcel (1999) – ISBN 2-213-61352-4
  • My Fellow Skin – ISBN 1-84343-046-0
  • Shutter Speed – ISBN 1-84343-172-6
  • While the Gods Were Sleeping (2008)

Collections of his poetry were published from 2001 on.

Among the literary prizes awarded to Mortier there are debut prizes in Belgium and in the Netherlands for Marcel, in 2002 the C. Buddingh' prize for his debut in poetry,[3] and in 2009 the AKO Literatuurprijs for While the Gods Were Sleeping.[1]

Mortier came out of the closet with A plea for sinning, a collection of essays (2003).[4] Other non-fiction included Evenings on the Estate: Travelling with Gerard Reve (2007), and A farewell to Congo: Back to the equator with Jef Geeraerts (2010).

He translated war prose by Ellen N. La Motte, Mary Borden and Enid Bagnold in Dutch, and produced the first Dutch translation of Virginia Woolf's Between the Acts.

  1. ^ a b Erwin Mortier eerste Vlaming in 20 jaar die AKO Literatuurprijs wint Het Nieuwsblad 12 November 2009
  2. ^ Erwin Mortier wordt nieuwe stadsdichter Het Nieuwsblad 14 January 2005
  3. ^ C. BUDDINGH PRIZE — Sinds 1988 Poetry International Rotterdam: "2002 – Erwin Mortier met Vergeten licht"
  4. ^ BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: How to be as immodest as possible at erwinmortier.be