Peter Verhelst

Peter Verhelst (b. 1962) is a novelist, scriptwriter, myth and theatre maker, poet and picture book author all in one. As a child he wanted to become a painter, but decided to write from a live model instead. His work has been praised for its powerful images, the sensuality and richness of its language and the author’s unbridled imagination. In 2018 he won the Sybren Polet Prize for Literature, a prize for authors with an experimental literary oeuvre. In 2021 he was awarded the Constantijn Huygens Prize for his oeuvre which the jury described as 'breathtaking'.

Photo © Chris Ward