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Astrid Heligonda Roemer

アストリット・ヘーリゴンダ・ローマー

Asutoriddo Herigonda Rōmā

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1947-04-27 （Paramaribo）
Nationality
Surinamese, Dutch
Languages
Dutch
Residence History
Paramaribo, Suriname → The Hague, Netherlands → Suriname (2006-2009)

Career

Occupations
writer, teacher
Active Years
1970-2024
Affiliations
GroenLinks (The Hague city council)
Nominations
International Booker Prize longlist (2025), National Book Award for Translated Literature longlist (2023)

Education

Surinaams Pedagogisch Instituut (SPI)
Teaching college
Year of Graduation: 1965
Country: Suriname

Awards

P. C. Hooft Award
2016
Result: winner
Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren
2021
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

National Book Award for Translated Literature 1 appearances
  1. Edition 6 (2023) Nominee
    Work: On a Woman's Madness

    A fragmentary novel about Noenka, a Black woman who leaves home after her husband's refusal to grant a divorce, and begins a new life shadowed by colonial history, desire, and isolation.

    New freedom does not shake off the past so easily.

    265 pages
    queer literaturecolonial historywomenfragmentary formfreedom

Works

Major Works

On a Woman's Madness

1982 novel

A fragmentary novel investigating identity and the oppression of women.

oppression of womenidentityfeminism
Translations
  • English (Lucy Scott, 2023)

Bibliography

  • Sasa mijn actuele zijn (1970)
  • Neem mij terug, Suriname (1974)
  • De wereld heeft gezicht verloren (1975)
  • Over de gekte van een vrouw (1982)
  • Nergens ergens (1983)
  • En wat dan nog?! (1985)
  • Noordzee Blues (1985)
  • Levenslang gedicht (1987)
  • Waarom zou je huilen mijn lieve, lieve... (1987)
  • Wat heet anders (1987)
  • De achtentwintigste dag (1988)
  • De orde van de dag (1988)
  • Het spoor van de jakhals (1988)
  • Alles wat gelukkig maakt (1989)
  • Oost West Holland Best (1989)
  • Een naam voor de liefde (1990)
  • Dichter bij mij schreeuw ik (1991)
  • Niets wat pijn doet (1993)
  • Gewaagd leven (1996)
  • Lijken op liefde (1997)
  • Suriname (1997)
  • Was getekend (1998)
  • 'Miauw' (2001)
  • Zolang ik leef ben ik niet dood (2004)
  • Afnemend (2012)
  • Gebroken wit (2019) / Off-White
  • DealersDochter (2023)

Translations of Works

  • A Name for Love (1994, Rita Gircour)
  • The Order of the Day (1994, Rita Gircour)
  • On a Woman's Madness (2023, Lucy Scott)
  • Off-White (2024, Lucy Scott & David McKay)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
fragmentarypoeticexperimental
Recurring Motifs
Surinamese historycolonialismdecolonizationwomen's experiences

Legacy

Renowned Dutch-language writer of Surinamese origin, known for innovative works on Surinamese history and women's oppression, recipient of major awards like the P.C. Hooft Award.

Trivia

  • First Caribbean author to win the P.C. Hooft Award.
  • Her work took 43 years from original publication to International Booker longlist.