Anne Provoost
Encyclopedia
Anne Provoost
Anne Provoost (born 26 July 1964 in the Belgian town of Poperinge
, is a Flemish
author who now lives in Antwerp with her husband and three children.
and Leuven
. Although she had been writing stories since childhood, she thought nothing of it until she began to win competitions while a student. She continued her education with a one-year course in pedagogics and then, having married Manu Claeys, went to join him in Minneapolis, where he was studying American literature. During this time, she started contributing to Belgian and American children's newspapers and also wrote her first novel, My Aunt is a Pilot Whale (1991), which is set in the USA. She returned to Belgium in 1989 and worked part-time for an international exchange organisation, but after the success of her second novel, Falling, she decided to become a full time writer.
Anne Provoost is known for remaking myths
, folk tales, fairy tales, and bible stories. Once a year, she writes a letter to Hans Christian Andersen
answering one of his stories. Apart from being a novelist, Provoost also writes essays on literature and children's literature
as well as short stories
. Her work, originally published in Dutch
, has been translated into many European languages as well as Afrikaans
, Amharic, Arabic and Turkish
.
She was made a member of The Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature in 2003. In June 2007, she was a candidate for the Senate for the Flemish Green Party.
(1994), deals with the allure of neo-Nazi rhetoric. Both these won awards and critical acclaim, particularly Falling, which has been adapted three times for theatre and was made into an English-language feature film in 2001.
In 1997 Provoost retold the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast in The Rose and the Swine, set in mediaeval Antwerp. In the Shadow of the Ark (2001) is an account of the biblical story of Noah
told from the perspective of a teenage girl who was not chosen to survive the deluge. Both these take a critical look at the traditional religious mind-set, a theme she has taken further in her essay Beloved Unbelievers: Atheist Sermon (2008), in which she makes a plea for organisation in the face of right-wing Christian fundamentalism.
Her newest novel, Looking into the Sun, was published 2007. It is the story of a young girl living on an Australian farm with her mother, who has bad eyesight and knows she may be going blind. Her father has died after a fall from a horse and the mother tries but fails to keep the farm going.
Anne Provoost (born 26 July 1964 in the Belgian town of Poperinge
Poperinge
Poperinge is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, and has a history going back to mediaeval times. The municipality comprises the town of Poperinge proper and surrounding villages. The area is famous for its hops and lace.-The town:Poperinge is situated...
, is a Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
author who now lives in Antwerp with her husband and three children.
Career
Anne Provoost grew up in a family of four children in West Flanders and went on to pursue Germanic studies at the linked universities of KortrijkKatholieke Universiteit Leuven Campus Kortrijk
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Campus Kortrijk , or KULCK is the only university in the Belgian province of West-Flanders. Until recently, the KULCK was known as the KULAK, “Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Afdeling Kortrijk"...
and Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
The Catholic University of Leuven, or of Louvain, was the largest, oldest and most prominent university in Belgium. The university was founded in 1425 as the University of Leuven by John IV, Duke of Brabant and approved by a Papal bull by Pope Martin V.During France's occupation of Belgium in the...
. Although she had been writing stories since childhood, she thought nothing of it until she began to win competitions while a student. She continued her education with a one-year course in pedagogics and then, having married Manu Claeys, went to join him in Minneapolis, where he was studying American literature. During this time, she started contributing to Belgian and American children's newspapers and also wrote her first novel, My Aunt is a Pilot Whale (1991), which is set in the USA. She returned to Belgium in 1989 and worked part-time for an international exchange organisation, but after the success of her second novel, Falling, she decided to become a full time writer.
Anne Provoost is known for remaking myths
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, folk tales, fairy tales, and bible stories. Once a year, she writes a letter to Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
answering one of his stories. Apart from being a novelist, Provoost also writes essays on literature and children's literature
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
as well as short stories
Short Stories
Short Stories may refer to:*A plural for Short story*Short Stories , an American pulp magazine published from 1890-1959*Short Stories, a 1954 collection by O. E...
. Her work, originally published in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, has been translated into many European languages as well as Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, Amharic, Arabic and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.
She was made a member of The Royal Academy of Dutch Language and Literature in 2003. In June 2007, she was a candidate for the Senate for the Flemish Green Party.
The novels
Anne Provoost is counted as a novelist for young adults and her stories are usually related by youngsters from their slightly puzzled point of view. The first two of her books dealt with controversial themes. In My Aunt is a Pilot Whale it is sexual abuse. Her second novel, FallingFalling (Provoost novel)
Falling is a novel by the Flemish author Anne Provoost.-Background:This was Anne Provoost's second novel and quickly gained an international reputation. Among the awards it won were two for young people's literature, representing the area of speciality that the author has made her own...
(1994), deals with the allure of neo-Nazi rhetoric. Both these won awards and critical acclaim, particularly Falling, which has been adapted three times for theatre and was made into an English-language feature film in 2001.
In 1997 Provoost retold the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast in The Rose and the Swine, set in mediaeval Antwerp. In the Shadow of the Ark (2001) is an account of the biblical story of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
told from the perspective of a teenage girl who was not chosen to survive the deluge. Both these take a critical look at the traditional religious mind-set, a theme she has taken further in her essay Beloved Unbelievers: Atheist Sermon (2008), in which she makes a plea for organisation in the face of right-wing Christian fundamentalism.
Her newest novel, Looking into the Sun, was published 2007. It is the story of a young girl living on an Australian farm with her mother, who has bad eyesight and knows she may be going blind. Her father has died after a fall from a horse and the mother tries but fails to keep the farm going.
Novels
- My Aunt Is a Pilot Whale (1990) (ISBN 0-88961-202-1)http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/MijnTanteIsEenGrindewal/MijnTanteIsEenGrindewal
- FallingFalling (Provoost novel)Falling is a novel by the Flemish author Anne Provoost.-Background:This was Anne Provoost's second novel and quickly gained an international reputation. Among the awards it won were two for young people's literature, representing the area of speciality that the author has made her own...
(1994) (ISBN 1-86448-444-6)http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/Vallen/Vallen - The Rose and the Swine (1997) http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/DeRoosEnHetZwijn/DeRoosEnHetZwijn
- In the Shadow of the Ark (2001) (ISBN 0-425-21102-9)http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/DeArkvaarders/DeArkvaarders
- Looking into the Sun (2007) (ISBN 978-90-789-8032-2)http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/InDeZonKijken/InDeZonKijken
Essays
- Second Letter to Hans Christian Andersen http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/Essays/BriefHCA1
- Bad endings for children. Hopelessness and consolation; growing up, willing or not http://www.anneprovoost.be/en/index.php/Essays/Uitzichtloos
- So here's the bad news. The child as an antagonist (PDF)
- Identification in Falling. If goblins don't exist...
Film adaptations
Awards
- 1991 - Belgium, Boekenleeuw for My Aunt is a Pilot Whale
- 1991 - Belgium, Prijs Letterkunde van de Vlaamse Provincies - Jeugd- en kinderboek, for My Aunt is a Pilot Whale
- 1995 - The Netherlands, Woutertje Pieterse Prijs for Falling
- 1995 - Belgium, Boekenleeuw for Falling
- 1995 - International, Honour list IBBY for Falling
- 1995 - Belgium, Gouden Uil voor kinder- en jeugdliteratuur for Falling
- 1995 - The Netherlands, Zilveren GriffelGouden GriffelThe Gouden Griffel is an important award given to authors of children's or teenager's literature in the Netherlands.Since 1971, it is awarded each year during the Dutch Children's Books Week, by the Stichting Collectieve Propaganda van het Nederlandse Boek for the best children's books written in...
for Falling - 1995 - International, Special mention White Ravens for Falling
- 1996 - Belgium, Prijs Letterkunde van de Vlaamse Provincies - Jeugd- en Kinderboek for Falling
- 1997 - France, Shortlist Prix du Lecteur of Mans and Sarthe for Falling
- 1998 - International, Honour list IBBY for The Rose and the Swine
- 1998 - Belgium, Shortlist for Gouden Uil for The Rose and the Swine
- 1998 - Belgium, Boekenleeuw for The Rose and the Swine
- 1998 - The Netherlands, Gouden Zoen for The Rose and the Swine
- 2000 - Germany, Luchs-Award from Die Zeit for The Rose and the Swine
- 2000 - Germany, Prijs van Nordrhein-Westfalen for My Aunt is a Pilot Whale, Falling and The Rose and the Swine
- 2000 - Belgium, Lavki-award for Falling, a 5-yearly award of the city of Hasselt
- 2001 - Austria, Sonderpreis from the Jury der Jungen Leser for The Rose and the Swine'
- 2002 - The Netherlands, Gouden Zoen for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2002 - Belgium, Boekenwelp for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2002 - Belgium, Longlist Gouden Uil for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2004 - USA, Children's Book Sense Picks for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2005 - Belgium, Prijs Letterkunde van de Provincie West-Vlaanderen - Jeugd- en Kinderboek for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2005 - International, Longlist International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award for In the Shadow of the Ark
- 2007 - The Netherlands, Longlist LIBRIS-award for Looking into the Sun
- 2007 - The Netherlands, Shortlist Halewijn-award in Roermond for Looking into the Sun
- 2008 - The Netherlands, Woman&Culture Award for Looking into the Sun.
- 2009 - Belgium, the 3-yearly Culture Award of Flanders for Looking into the Sun.