Writer Johan Veenstra from Nijeholtpade has been appointed an honorary citizen of the municipality by the council of Weststellingwerf. Veenstra has been writing in Stellingwarfs for fifty years. He had been lured to the town hall to close the meeting and was attacked there during the council meeting by Mayor André van de Nadort.
“Fifty years a writer. A language virtuoso in Stellingwerfs, moving, humorous, with a lot of imagination. A talent only develops if you do something with it.” Veenstra opened the council meeting on 1 March in the month of the regional language and was allowed to close the second council meeting in this month on Monday with its own reflections. But that was for a reason.
Van de Nadort said that he has also got to know Veenstra personally in recent years. “I had a lot of fun during his stories at meetings of new residents. A humble and very pleasant person to deal with. We cannot let someone who has meant so much to the local language and this municipality go unnoticed.” That is why the council had previously decided in a closed meeting to appoint Veenstra as an honorary citizen of Weststellingwerf.
The totally surprised Veenstra called it fantastic. He previously thought that 2020 would be a jubilee year for him, with a big party on his 75th birthday. That was cancelled due to corona. And is the new book coming on? Everything apparently fell through, although he did win the Rink van der Velde Prize 2020 in September. “But what a great year this has already turned out to be. Honorary citizen, I think that is an enormous honor. I used to be a shy little boy. How could I ever have thought I could achieve. It is great that there is now someone from the Stellingwerf culture between all the photos in the corridors of the town hall. And I’m sure I won’t sleep tonight.”
source: lc.nl
