Eugène Drenthe
Eugène Drenthe
Born	Eugène Constantijn Donders Drenthe 12 December 1925 Laarwijk, Surinam
Died	30 March 2009(2009-03-30) (aged 83) Rotterdam, Netherlands
Nationality (legal)	Dutch
Occupation(s)	Playwright and poet

Eugène Constantijn Donders Drenthe (12 December 1925 in Laarwijk, Surinam – 30 March 2009 in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was a prominent Surinamese poet and playwright.^[1]

Biography

Drenthe was born in Laarwijk, Surinam,^[1] as an illegitimate child of Louise Drenthe and the local police officer who was also the parish clerk. Drenthe used to talk about it as if it was normal.^[2] This down-to-earth attitude also characterized his plays which showed the normal life of the Creoles in Suriname.^[3] The plays were successful, Geheim in het gezin was performed 57 times in Suriname.^[3] Drenthe produced 25 plays in all, which include Rudy (1959), Kedjaman (1969) and Djomp abra (1977).^[4] From 1968 onwards, the plays of Drenthe were being performed outside of Suriname. First to Curaçao, Aruba, and Puerto Rico, and later to the Netherlands.^[3]

Drenthe was one of the founding members and first president of NAKS. NAKS was founded in 1948 as a social and cultural organization which promotes Afro-Surinamese culture and expression.^[5] In 1982 Drenthe started to publish poetry in Dutch and Sranan Tongo. His first publication was Skuma/Schuim (1982).^[4]

Drenthe was offered a knighthood in the Order of Orange Nassau in 1972, but refused to accept it, because he had done nothing special.^[2] He moved to the Netherlands in 1977.^[3] He died on 30 March 2009 in Rotterdam, at the age of 83.^[1]

See also

• Surinamese literature

References

External links

• Eugène Drenthe at Suriname View Literature