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Hugo Claus

ユゴー・クラウス

Yugō Kurausu

Pen Names: Dorothea van MaleUsed for the novel Schola Nostra, Jan HyoensUsed as a pseudonym, Thea StreinerUsed as a pseudonym

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-04-05 (Bruges)
Died
2008-03-19 (Antwerp) age 78
Nationality
Belgian
Languages
Dutch, English
Residence History
Bruges → Aalbeke (boarding school) → Paris → Italy → Amsterdam → Knokke

Career

Occupations
Playwright, novelist, poet, painter, film director
Active Years
1947-2008

Education

Boarding school in Aalbeke
Run by nuns
Period: 幼少期
Country: Belgium
Experienced German occupation during WWII

Awards

International Nonino Prize
2000
Work: The Sorrow of Belgium
Organization: Nonino
Result: 受賞
Constantijn Huygens Prize
1979
Work: Complete oeuvre
Result: 受賞
Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren
1986
Work: Complete oeuvre
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Sorrow of Belgium

1983 Novel

Semi-autobiographical novel depicting Belgium during WWII and his youth

National identityWar memoryFascism
Translations
  • Italian: La sofferenza del Belgio

De verwondering / Wonder

1962 Novel

One of his significant novels

Postmodern

De Metsiers / The Duck Hunt

1950 Novel

Debut novel

Bibliography

  • Over a thousand pages of poetry, 60+ plays, 20+ novels, essays, scripts

Style & Themes

Literary Style
ExperimentalSatirical
Recurring Motifs
WarReligious blasphemyFlemish identity

Health

  • Alzheimer's disease
    晩年(2000年代)
    Led to his decision for euthanasia

Legacy

Leading Belgian author spanning drama, novels, poetry; painter and filmmaker; CoBrA participant.

Archives

  • Study and Documentation Centre Hugo Claus, University of Antwerp

In Popular Culture

  • Euthanasia death sparked controversy

Trivia

  • Prosecuted for blasphemy with nude-cast play Masscheroen, suspended sentence
  • Wrote poetry in English
  • Nobel Prize in Literature nominee multiple times
  • Relationship with Sylvia Kristel