Biography

Hélène "Hella" Serafia Haasse (1918–2011) was a Dutch writer, often referred to as the "Grande Dame" of Dutch literature, and whose novel 'Oeroeg' (translated as 'The Black Lake', 1948) was a staple for generations of Dutch schoolchildren. Her internationally acclaimed magnum opus is 'Heren van de Thee' (The Tea Lords, 1992). In 1988 Haasse interviewed the Dutch Queen for her 50th birthday, after which celebrated Dutch author Adriaan van Dis called Haasse "the Queen among authors". In 1989 the city of Boston awarded her the 'Boston Certificate of Recognition', for her book 'Het woud der verwachting' ('In a Dark Wood Wandering', 1949): “In recognition and appreciation of your outstanding contributions to the City of Boston and its residents.”