Post-war Dutch author, sculptor and painter. Wolkers is considered one of the “Great Four” writers of post WW2 Dutch literature.
He was the third child of Hendrik Wolkers Sr. (26 October 1890 – 12 November 1976, Oegstgeest) and Jannetje van der Heijde (18 July 1899- 12 May 1979, Oegstgeest), who married 22 September 1922 in Amsterdam. Between 29 July 1922 and 3 February 1943 got eleven children.
Wolkers follewed some secondary education, but left the ULO prematurely to have some jobs. From 1 October 1941 till November 1944 he had drawing lessons in the evening in leiden. From November 1944 till the end of the war he hided in his parental house to escape “Arbeiseinsatz” in Germany. After the war he hitch-hiked to Paris, but having no money he came back after some weeks.
From 1 October 1945 til summer 1948 he studied at the Royal Art Academy in Den Haag. In 1947 he broke with his father and married Maria Lena de Roo. From 1949 till his diploma on 16 May 1953 he studied sculpture in Amsterdam.
Based on his novel the movie, “Turkish Fruits” was nominated for an Academy Award for best foreign language film of 1972 and in 1999 won the award for Best Dutch Film of the Century. The 1987 Dutch film “Terug naar Oegstgeest” directed by the late Theo van Gogh was based on his work.
He is also known for his outdoor sculptures in the Netherlands which feature glass and steel and as such have been vandalized. His Auschwitz monument of broken mirrors on the Oosterbegraafplaats (24 March 1976, Amsterdam), was destroyed 29 January 1993 in the Wertheimpark, few days before the official first exposure on 31 January 1993 on the new place. On 23 September 1993 it was restored. On the last Sunday of January the yearly Auschwitz memorial in Amsterdam is held here. He also made monuments in remembrance of the politician Joop den Uyl, the movement of “De Tachtigers”, environmentalist Jac. P. Thijsse (Den Burg), het ‘milieu’-monument, hand the freedom monument in Doesburg.
The week before his death he was admitted to hospital in Den Helder for erysipelas. On 15 October 2007 incurable liver cirrhosis was diagnosed. He went home and died in his sleep on 19 October 2007 at Westermient on the Isle of Texel.
Personal
Wolkers married trice. On 16 July 1947 he married Maria Lena de Roo (19 January 1923, Goes – 19 December 1993, Amsterdam). They got three children. Erik Peter (5 Jan 1948, Leiden), Eva Maria (26 May 1949 – 10 June 1951, A’dam) and Jeroen Sebastiaan (3 April 1953, Goes). They divorced on 9 March 1957 because of Wolkers extramarital affair with Annemarie Nauta.
From 12 November 1958 till 4 Augustus 1960 he was married to the red haired Anna Maria (Annemarie) Nauta (7 June 1937, Leeuwarden). They met in 1956 and had a passionate relationship, that started and ended abruptly. Their love letters are bundled in “Brieven aan Olga” (2010). His most famous novel “Turks fruit”, dealing with death and sexuality, also refers to his relation to Annemarie.
In 1963 he met the 17 years old Catharina (Karina) Gnirrep (21 March 1946). They soon lived together and married 15 January 1981, shortly before the birth of the twin brothers Bob and Tom (22 March 1981).
Link to Wikipedia biography