Judith de Kom | |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 March 1931 The Hague, Netherlands |
| Died | 10 October 2024 (aged 93) Netherlands |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation(s) | Activist, novelist, writer |
| Relatives | Anton de Kom (father) |
Judith de Kom (16 March 1931 – 10 October 2024) was a Dutch-Surinamese activist and novelist. The daughter of Anton de Kom, a Surinamese pro-independence activist and member of the Dutch resistance who died in a German concentration camp in 1945, Judith de Kom spent much of her life campaigning for the recognition of her father's role during World War II. In 2023, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte publicly apologized for Anton de Kom's treatment by the Dutch government before and after his death, thanks largely to Judith de Kom's activism.[1]
Much of Judith de Kom's writings explored the themes of identity, family, and the Dutch colonial period in Suriname. Her best-known works include the 2021 novel, Het verlangen naar een eiland ("The Longing for an Island") about the legacy of colonialism on generations of the same family, which was loosely based on her own family history.[2]