Willem van den Hout
Encyclopedia
Wilhelmus Henricus Maria van den Hout ('s Hertogenbosch, June 3, 1915 – Den Haag, February 24, 1985) was a Dutch writer and publicist, known for writing the Bob Evers series of children's books using the pseudonym
Willy van der Heide.
Van den Hout also used the pseudonyms Willy Waterman, Willem W. Waterman, Sylvia Sillevis, Victor Valstar, Victor H. Huitink, Joke Raviera, Zsa Zsa Ferguson and C.B. McInverness, M.D., Ph.D., and translated English literature into Dutch
.
company. He married Louise Grossouw the same year. They had two sons.
For Philips, van den Hout traveled to the United States and visited Hollywood. He used the experience to write a satire about the film industry.
During World War II
van den Hout briefly was a member of the Nationaal Front and he worked for several Nazi propaganda
media. He was arrested after the war, spent three years in jail, and was banned from working as a journalist for ten years.
He divorced in 1948 and married Anneliese Jülkenbeck in 1952. After divorcing his second wife in 1956, he married Marjon Niemeijer in 1958. They had a son and a daughter.
In the 1970s he founded the Manicheese Wereldkerk (English: Manichaean World Church), a one-man religious organisation attempting to use a loophole
in tax laws.
Willem van den Hout died February 24, 1985 of a heart attack.
The Bob Evers series originally consisted of 32 volumes published from 1949 to 1963. From 1965, the series were published as pocket books with some minor updates, and the order of the first six volumes was changed. In 1967, van den Hout sold all rights to Stenvert publishers for ƒ100,000. When the series became a much bigger success than anticipated, this led to a conflict with Stenvert.
In 1977, he published two more volumes (34 and 35) with another publisher, in breach of his contract with Stenvert.
After van den Hout died, volumes 34 and 35 were partly re-written by author Peter de Zwaan. De Zwaan also completed van den Hout's unfinished manuscripts for volumes 33 and 36 and continued to write Bob Evers books, extending the series to 50 volumes. In September 2010 volume 51 is expected.
Three of the books have been translated into Afrikaans
, and several of the books have been re-published as comics
in the Algemeen Dagblad
and as comic books.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Willy van der Heide.
Van den Hout also used the pseudonyms Willy Waterman, Willem W. Waterman, Sylvia Sillevis, Victor Valstar, Victor H. Huitink, Joke Raviera, Zsa Zsa Ferguson and C.B. McInverness, M.D., Ph.D., and translated English literature into 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...
.
Life
Willem van den Hout was born June 3, 1915 in 's Hertogenbosch, his father a teacher. In 1937 van den Hout joined the PhilipsPhilips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
company. He married Louise Grossouw the same year. They had two sons.
For Philips, van den Hout traveled to the United States and visited Hollywood. He used the experience to write a satire about the film industry.
During 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...
van den Hout briefly was a member of the Nationaal Front and he worked for several Nazi propaganda
Nazi propaganda
Propaganda, the coordinated attempt to influence public opinion through the use of media, was skillfully used by the NSDAP in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's leadership of Germany...
media. He was arrested after the war, spent three years in jail, and was banned from working as a journalist for ten years.
He divorced in 1948 and married Anneliese Jülkenbeck in 1952. After divorcing his second wife in 1956, he married Marjon Niemeijer in 1958. They had a son and a daughter.
In the 1970s he founded the Manicheese Wereldkerk (English: Manichaean World Church), a one-man religious organisation attempting to use a loophole
Loophole
A loophole is a weakness that allows a system to be circumvented.Loophole may also refer to:*Arrowslit, a slit in a castle wall*Loophole , a short science fiction story by Arthur C...
in tax laws.
Willem van den Hout died February 24, 1985 of a heart attack.
Bob Evers
May 19, 1949 van den Hout signed a contract with publishers M. Stenvert & Zoon (later De Eekhoorn) to publish his Bob Evers series. The books revolve around three boys: Arie Roos, Jan Prins and American Bob Evers.The Bob Evers series originally consisted of 32 volumes published from 1949 to 1963. From 1965, the series were published as pocket books with some minor updates, and the order of the first six volumes was changed. In 1967, van den Hout sold all rights to Stenvert publishers for ƒ100,000. When the series became a much bigger success than anticipated, this led to a conflict with Stenvert.
In 1977, he published two more volumes (34 and 35) with another publisher, in breach of his contract with Stenvert.
After van den Hout died, volumes 34 and 35 were partly re-written by author Peter de Zwaan. De Zwaan also completed van den Hout's unfinished manuscripts for volumes 33 and 36 and continued to write Bob Evers books, extending the series to 50 volumes. In September 2010 volume 51 is expected.
Three of the books have been translated into 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...
, and several of the books have been re-published as comics
Comics
Comics denotes a hybrid medium having verbal side of its vocabulary tightly tied to its visual side in order to convey narrative or information only, the latter in case of non-fiction comics, seeking synergy by using both visual and verbal side in...
in the Algemeen Dagblad
Algemeen Dagblad
The Algemeen Dagblad is a Dutch newspaper. Founded in Rotterdam in 1946, it currently has a daily circulation of 315,000. The newspaper is owned by AD NieuwsMedia, a joint venture between Wegener and PCM Uitgevers....
and as comic books.
External links
- Bob Evers official site