Marente
de Moor
Marente de Moor, born in The Hague in 1972, embarked on a literary journey that would take her from Russia to international acclaim. Her immersion in Russian culture during the 1990s, where she studied drama and worked as a correspondent, laid the foundation for her future literary endeavors.
In 2007, de Moor's first novel, "De overtreder" (The Transgressor), made a resounding debut and the rights were immediately sold to Suhrkamp Verlag in Germany, where it was published as "Amsterdam und zurück" (Amsterdam and Back).
Three years later, the novel "De Nederlandse maagd" (The Dutch Maiden) received rave reviews both in her native Netherlands and in Germany. It was awarded with the prestigious AKO Literatuurprijs (AKO Literature Prize) in 2011, followed by the European Union Prize for Literature in 2014. With over 100.000 copies sold in the Netherlands, it has since been translated into sixteen languages, further expanding de Moor's global readership.
In 2013, her novel “Roundhay, tuinscène" (Roundhay Garden Scene) earned a spot on the shortlist for the Libris Literatuur Prijs (Libris Literature Prize). The ingenious story built around the invention of cinema, was published in Germany by Hanser Verlag under the title ‘Aus dem Licht’ (Out of the Light) and very well received by both the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
De Moor's mastery of the short story genre was recognized in 2016 when her collection "Gezellige verhalen" (Cozy Stories) was awarded the main Dutch prize for short stories, the Biesheuvelprijs (Biesheuvel Prize). This collection has since been translated into multiple languages.
Two years later, her novel "Foon" (Phon) solidified her position as a literary force to be reckoned with. This captivating work received both the Jan Wolkers Prijs (Jan Wolkers Prize) and the F. Bordewijk-prijs (F. Bordewijk Prize) for the best Dutch-language prose book in 2018. Its international appeal was further recognized when it was published in Spanish and German, and received critical acclaim.
In 2023 she combined her experience as a journalist with her literary writings in the witty, probably her most topical novel “De schoft” (The Bastard).
Her new novel, 'The Bandagist' will appear in spring 2025.
Prizes and nominations
2011 - AKO Literature Prize > The Dutch Maiden
2014 - European Union Prize for Literature > The Dutch Maiden
2014 - Shortlist - Libris Literature Prize > Roundhay, Garden Scene
2016 - J.M.A. Biesheuvel Prize > Cozy Stories
2018 - Best Novel of the Year according to de Volkskrant > Phon
2019 - Jan Wolkers Prize > Phon
2019 - F. Bordewijk Prize > Phon
2019 - Shortlist Bookspot Literature Prize > Phon
2023 - Longlist Libris Literature Prize > The Bastard
"On every page, there is a remarkable sentence. However, it is not the stunning stylistic abilities of Marente de Moor that constitute the greatest strength of Foon. Rather, as in her earlier books, it is the vast amounts of ideas expressed and intertwined within the novel. With the tragic attempts of humans to control, understand, and direct nature, we reach the core of her work. One of the most idiosyncratic authors in the Dutch language area."
- Jury Report, Bordewijk Prize 2019
Read the Dutch interview in De Standaard, by Jelle van Riet.