The Rink van der Velde Prize, awarded every two years, this year goes to Marga Claus for her novel Libbe. The book is partly based on the life of her father and explores, among other things, the relationship between parents and children. Themes such as past and future, and control and letting go, are also addressed.
According to the jury, consisting of Rixt van der Heide, Meindert Reitsma and Baukje Zijlstra, the book is written in a compelling and relatable way and will remain relevant for a long time to come.
Marga Claus (Leeuwarden, 1955) made her debut in 2000 with the novel Oxzana. She worked as a language teacher at ROC Friesland College (now Firda) and has been working as a freelancer since her retirement. She also teaches autobiographical writing courses at Tresoar.
The Rink van der Velde Prize is awarded every two years by the municipality of Smallingerland and the FLMD Foundation. The prize consists of a sculpture by Anne and Roelie Woudwijk and a cash prize of €2,000. The award ceremony will take place on 4 September at It Polderhûs in De Veenhoop.
