Pierre Lauffer | |
---|---|
Born | Pierre Antoine Lauffer[1] 22 August 1920 |
Died | 14 June 1981 Willemstad, Curaçao[2] | (aged 60)
Occupation(s) | Writer and poet |
Notable work | Kumbu (1955) Kantika pa Bientu (1964) |
Pierre Lauffer (22 August 1920 – 14 June 1981) was a Curaçaoan writer and poet who mainly wrote in Papiamentu. He is considered one of the greatest poets of Curaçao.[1][3][4][5]
Biography
[edit]Lauffer was born on 22 August 1920 as Pierre Antoine Lauffer.[1] He graduated from the Mulo (junior high school) in 1936, and started various jobs as a civil servant, a military policeman, and an undertaker. During this time, he was writing stories and poetry as a hobby.[4] His first publication was a story in Dutch for the magazine De Stoep.[6]
In 1944 Patria, his first poetry collection in Papiamentu, was published. It received a negative review from De Stoep who questioned the usefulness of a poetry book which a mere 100,000 people could read.[7] In 1950, Lauffer co-founded the magazine Simadán written entirely in Papiamentu in order to compete with De Stoep.[8] The magazine would only have three editions. In 1955, he published Kumbu[7] with rhythmic poetry.[4] It was the first publication of modernist poetry in Papiamentu with an emphasis on the emotional value of the words.[9]
In 1964, Lauffer published Kantika pa Bientu for which he was awarded a prize by the Cultural Centre Curaçao.[7] The publications were not a commercial success given the limited market,[10] and in 1965, Lauffer became an English school teacher.[4] At the age of 47, he fell in love with an 18-year-old woman, and married for the second time. The marriage didn't last, and his poetry became more melancholic.[10] In 1969, Lauffer was awarded the Cola Debrot Prize for his poetry.[11] In 1970, he became a Papiamentu teacher at the Pedagogical Academy.[4]
In his later years, Lauffer started to write children's books in Papiamentu, because he felt that children were being neglected by the few Papiamentu writers.[12] Lauffer died on 14 June 1981, at the age of 60.[2]
Legacy
[edit]On 16 July 1981, Fundashon Pierre Lauffer was established in his honour to promote Papiamentu. The Premio Bienal Pierre Lauffer is a biannual prize for people who have earned merits for the advancement of Papiamentu.[13] In 1982, the Mgr Zwijssen College where Lauffer used to teach was renamed Kolegio Pierre Lauffer.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Olga E. Rojer, Joseph O. Aimone and Pierre Antoine Lauffer (2007). "Pierre Antoine Lauffer". Journal of Caribbean Literatures. 5 (1): 97–103. JSTOR 40986321.
- ^ a b "Pierre Antoine Lauffer". Amigoe via Delpher.nl (in Papiamento). 18 June 1981. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ "Pierre Lauffer Ensemble". Writers Unlimited. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Wim Rutgers. "Pierre Lauffer: nationaal auteur" (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Anton Korteweg, Kees Nieuwenhuijzen, Max Nord (1980). Schrijversprentenboek van de Nederlandse Antillen (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij. p. 16.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "In Memoriam Pierre Laufer". Amigoe via Delpher.nl (in Dutch). 15 June 1981. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Ezra de Haan. "Zoeken naar onbereikbaar geluk". Hebban (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Wim Rutgers (2002). Europa buitengaats (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Bert Bakker. p. 267. ISBN 90-351-2397-2.
- ^ Henry Habibe. "Vaderlandsliefde en melancholie in de poëzie van Pierre Lauffer (IV en slot)". Werkgroep Caraibische Letteren (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b Albert Hogeweij. "Biografie van Curaçaose dichter Pierre Lauffer". Literair Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Wim Rutgers (1994). Schrijven is zilver, spreken is goud (Thesis) (in Dutch). University of Utrecht. p. 324. ISBN 9990492107.
- ^ "Lezing over Pierre Lauffer als nationale dichter". Amigoe via Delpher.nl (in Dutch). 19 April 1990. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Wim Rutgers (1996). Beneden en boven de wind. Amsterdam: De Bezige Bij. p. 332. ISBN 90-234-3530-3.
- ^ "Fundashon Pierre Laufer". Amigoe via Delpher.nl (in Papiamento). 3 September 1982. Retrieved 23 April 2021.