Thea Beckman
Encyclopedia
Thea Beckman (23 July 1923 - 5 May 2004) was a Dutch
author
of children's books.
Beckman studied social psychology
while she was in her twenties, attending the University of Utrecht
. In wake of the 1929 economic crisis, her father lost his job and Beckman was glad she had finished her study, especially after World War II
occurred.
As a writer, she intended to use her husband's name of Beckmann as her pseudonym
. Her publisher urged her to change it to Beckman with only one "n" to prevent her name from sounding "too German
", in wake of Germany's negative reputation after World War II.
Beckman is best known for Crusade in Jeans, a 1973 children's novel for which she was awarded the Gouden Griffel. The book describes a children's crusade in 1212 and was adapted into a movie in 2006. She also received notable attention for her trilogy Children of Mother Earth, which depicted a post-apocalyptic earth where soldiers from societies led by men invade and disrupt a newfound Greenlandic
society, which is led by women. Though the book contained superfeminist themes, Beckman didn't consider the book's ideology as her own, stating: "People are greedy, aggressive and intolerant." In this statement, she specifically referred to the idea that a female society would work out better - an idea she did not believe in.
She died in her residence in Bunnik
of unknown causes in 2004, aged 80.
Thea Beckman was not religious and did not want to choose a political orientation.
In 2004, this was awarded to Benny Lindelauf for his book Negen open armen (nine open arms). In 2005, it was given to Belgian authors Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem and Pat Beirs for the novel Jonkvrouw.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of children's books.
Biography
At young age (11), Beckman knew she wanted to be a writer. As a teenager, she would write numerous stories and would listen to various types of music, ranging from classic to exciting film scores, depending on the kind of scene she was writing.Beckman studied social psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
while she was in her twenties, attending the University of Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
. In wake of the 1929 economic crisis, her father lost his job and Beckman was glad she had finished her study, especially after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
occurred.
As a writer, she intended to use her husband's name of Beckmann as her pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
. Her publisher urged her to change it to Beckman with only one "n" to prevent her name from sounding "too German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
", in wake of Germany's negative reputation after World War II.
Beckman is best known for Crusade in Jeans, a 1973 children's novel for which she was awarded the Gouden Griffel. The book describes a children's crusade in 1212 and was adapted into a movie in 2006. She also received notable attention for her trilogy Children of Mother Earth, which depicted a post-apocalyptic earth where soldiers from societies led by men invade and disrupt a newfound Greenlandic
Greenlandic
Greenlandic may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Greenland, the self-governing Danish province located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago....
society, which is led by women. Though the book contained superfeminist themes, Beckman didn't consider the book's ideology as her own, stating: "People are greedy, aggressive and intolerant." In this statement, she specifically referred to the idea that a female society would work out better - an idea she did not believe in.
She died in her residence in Bunnik
Bunnik
Bunnik is a municipality and a village in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The recorded history of the village dates back nearly 2000 years, when the Romans constructed a fort at Fectio with a harbour facing the river Rhine, which marked the border of the Roman Empire...
of unknown causes in 2004, aged 80.
Personal life
In 1945, Beckman married Dirk Hendrik Beckmann. Their marriage produced three children; sons Rien and Jerry and daughter Marianne. Dirk Beckmann died in 1993.Thea Beckman was not religious and did not want to choose a political orientation.
Selected bibliography
The following is a list of her best known novels:- Met Korilu de Griemel rond (Around the Greemel with Korilu, 1970) (Later renamed to Zwerftocht met Korilu – Wandering with Korilu; Zilveren Griffel 1971)
- Kruistocht in spijkerbroek (Crusade in JeansCrusade in JeansCrusade in Jeans is a children's novel written by Thea Beckman. It contains a fictional account of the children's crusade of 1212, as witnessed by Rudolf Hefting, a boy from the 20th century. The original Dutch title is Kruistocht in spijkerbroek...
; 1973; Gouden 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...
1974; European award for best historical youth novel 1974; made into a filmCrusade in Jeans (film)Crusade in Jeans is a 2006 Dutch film, an adaptation of the first half of the book Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman. The film was directed by Ben Sombogaart. It is unknown whether a sequel, based on the second half of the book, will be produced....
in 2006) – about the children's crusadeChildren's CrusadeThe Children's Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events which happened in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French or German boy; an intention to peacefully convert Muslims in the Holy Land to Christianity; bands of children marching to...
of 1212 - Mijn vader woont in Brazilië (My father lives in Brazil, 1974)
- The trilogy Geef me de ruimte (Give me space) – about the Hundred Years War between England and France
- Geef me de ruimte (Give me space, 1976),
- Triomf van de verschroeide aarde (Triumph of scorched earth, 1977)
- Het rad van fortuin (Wheel of fortune, 1978)
- Stad in de storm (City in the Storm, 1979; Zilveren Griffel 1980) – about Utrecht in the Year of Disaster 1672
- Wij zijn wegwerpkinderen (We are throw-away kids, 1980)
- De gouden dolk (The golden dagger, 1982) – about the second crusadeSecond CrusadeThe Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
, 1147–1149 - Hasse Simonsdochter (1983) – about Jan van SchaffelaarJan van SchaffelaarJan van Schaffelaar was a cavalry officer in the ancient duchy of Guelders , the Netherlands. Born in the region of Barneveld in the quarter of the Veluwe about 1445, he was in the military service of David of Burgundy, the Bishop of Utrecht during the region's factional war known as the Hook and...
's wife - Wonderkinderen (wonder children, 1984) about two especially gifted children
- The trilogy Kinderen van Moeder Aarde (Children of Mother Earth) a futuristic novel set ten centuries after World War III, describing the struggle between utopian Thule (Greenland, after a climate change made it prosperous) and Baden (militaristic European nation)
- Kinderen van Moeder Aarde (1985),
- Het helse paradijs (Hellish Paradise, 1987)
- Het Gulden Vlies van Thule (The Golden Fleece of Thule, 1989)
- De val van de Vredeborch (Fall of the Freeburgh, 1988)
- Een bos vol spoken (A forest full of ghosts, 1988)
- Het wonder van Frieswijck (The miracle of Frieswijck, 1991)
- De stomme van Kampen (The Mute of Kampen, 1992) – about the mute painter Hendrick AvercampHendrick AvercampHendrick Avercamp was a Dutch painter.Avercamp was born in Amsterdam, where he studied with the Danish-born portrait painter Pieter Isaacks , and perhaps also with David Vinckboons. In 1608 he moved from Amsterdam to Kampen in the province of Overijssel...
- De doge-ring van Venetië (The Doge-ring of Venice, 1994) – about a trip to Venice to obtain an important relic for an abbey.
- Saartje Tadema (1996) – about an orphan girl in the Amsterdam orphanage
- Vrijgevochten (Fought free, 1998) – about a sailor boy who is captured as a slave
- Gekaapt! (Hijacked!, 2003)
Thea Beckmanprize
After her death, the Historisch Nieuwsblad (historical newspaper) renamed the Bontekoe-award (a price for the best historical youth book, established in 2003) to the Thea Beckman award.In 2004, this was awarded to Benny Lindelauf for his book Negen open armen (nine open arms). In 2005, it was given to Belgian authors Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem and Pat Beirs for the novel Jonkvrouw.
External links
- Biography by Lemniscaat (publisher)
- Regarding her books