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Paul Biegel

Author profile

born

March 25, 1925 in Bussum, Netherlands

died

October 21, 2006

gender

male

website

http://www.paul-biegel.com/

genre

Children's Books, Science Fiction & Fantasy

About this author

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Paul Biegel was born in Bussum in 1925. His father, Hermann Biegel, was of German descent, and owned a building materials shop. With his wife Madeleine Povel-Guillot he had nine children, six girls and three boys, of which Paul was the youngest. He wasn't a prolific reader as a child, preferring to play outside. His favourite books where the fairy tales of the brothers Grimm and the works of Jules Verne. He studied in Bussum (primary school) and Amsterdam, graduating in 1945.

His first story, De ontevreden kabouter ("The unhappy gnome"), written when he was 14 years old, was printed in the newspaper De Tijd. He wanted to become a pianist, but decided that he didn't have enough talent. He went to the United States for a year after World War I...more Paul Biegel was born in Bussum in 1925. His father, Hermann Biegel, was of German descent, and owned a building materials shop. With his wife Madeleine Povel-Guillot he had nine children, six girls and three boys, of which Paul was the youngest. He wasn't a prolific reader as a child, preferring to play outside. His favourite books where the fairy tales of the brothers Grimm and the works of Jules Verne. He studied in Bussum (primary school) and Amsterdam, graduating in 1945.

His first story, De ontevreden kabouter ("The unhappy gnome"), written when he was 14 years old, was printed in the newspaper De Tijd. He wanted to become a pianist, but decided that he didn't have enough talent. He went to the United States for a year after World War II, where he worked for The Knickerbocker Weekly. After his return, he worked as an editor for Dutch magazines like the Avrobode. He commenced Law Studies, but stopped these in 1953. He wrote several newspaper comics, the most important of which was Minter and Hinter, which appeared in Het Vrije Volk for ten stories and 579 episodes. In 1959, he started working in the comic studio of Marten Toonder as a comics writer for the Kappie series.

He only published his first book, De gouden gitaar, in 1962. He became one of the most important Dutch writers for children in 1965, when he received the Gouden Griffel for Het sleutelkruid. He has written over 50 books, mostly published by Holland, and many of his books have been translated in English, French, German, Danish, Swedish, Welsh, South African, Japanese, Turkish, Greek, and Spanish. His own favourites were De tuinen van Dorr and De soldatenmaker. Other authors he appreciated included J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, and Hans Christian Andersen.

Paul Biegel lived in Amsterdam. He married Marijke Sträter in 1960, with whom he had a daughter, Leonie, in 1963, and in 1964 a son, Arthur, who committed suicide when he was 28. His marriage ultimately failed, and only at a later age did he publicly admit to being homosexual. He died in 2006. In 2007, publishers Holland (publisher) and Lemniscaat started reissuing twenty of his best works in the Biegelbibliotheek.(less)

combine editions
Books by Paul Biegel

Average rating: 4.02 · 496 ratings · 23 reviews · 52 distinct works

	De kleine kapitein by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 4.23 avg rating — 64 ratings — published 1970 — 5 editions	My rating:
	Het sleutelkruid by Paul Biegel, Babs van Wely (Illustrator) 4.15 avg rating — 68 ratings — published 1964 — 7 editions	My rating:
	De tuinen van Dorr by Paul Biegel, Tonke Dragt (Illustrator) 4.31 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 1969 — 6 editions	My rating:
	De rode prinses 3.88 avg rating — 48 ratings — published 1987 — 5 editions	My rating:
	De kleine kapitein in het land van Waan en Wijs by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 4.24 avg rating — 37 ratings — published 1973 — 4 editions	My rating:
	De kleine kapitein en de schat van Schrik en Vreze by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 4.39 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 1975 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Nachtverhaal 4.23 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 1992 — 2 editions	My rating:
	Juttertje Tim by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 3.79 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 1985	My rating:
	De rover Hoepsika by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 3.71 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 1977 — 3 editions	My rating:
	De grote kleine kapitein by Paul Biegel, Carl Hollander (Illustrator) 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings — published 2011	My rating: