Dichter des Vaderlands

Gerrit Komrij, Driek van Wissen e.a.

Donation by Stichting Drukwerk in de Marge to the Dutch Publications Depot
Acquisition 2005
Date 2005
Size 25 x 18 cm.
Signature KW DPZ 0465

In England, the King has appointed a Poet Laureate since 1668. In the United States, the Library of Congress appoints a Poet Laureate Consultant. In the Netherlands, however, a poet acting as 'consultant' is difficult to imagine. Here, poetry enthusiasts elect a poet laureate with the title of 'Dichter des Vaderlands', an honorary title that should be used with an appropriate understated tone. The duties of the Dichter des Vaderlands are clear and earnest: the DDV is the ambassador for poetry in the Netherlands.
In March 2003, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek created a new website accompanying the post: Dichter op het scherm ['Poet on screen']. The occasion was commemorated by a speech by the first holder of the position of Dichter des Vaderlands, Gerrit Komrij. The Koninklijke Bibliotheek has taken this opportunity to present its own poetry collection in profiles of poets who have earned the title of Dichter des Vaderlands in the past. Suster Bertken, Leopold, Huygens, Lucebert, Vondel and Bilderdijk have all been posthumously granted the title of Dichter des Vaderlands. There are currently thirty names on this list, and Komrij has added the name of one living poet as well: Remco Campert.

The members of Stichting Drukwerk in de Marge have accepted this long list of names as a challenge, and this association of private presses has come up with a co-operative project to bring their works to the public in style. Each printer embraced one of the poets on the list and began setting the type on their own private presses. Marlies Louwes printed two jazz poems by Remco Campert. The Presse d'escargot printed poems by De Génestet, De Klaproos chose to print verses by Jacob Cats and Mikado Pers chose Herman Gorter. At the request of the editors of this 'printers' box', Gerrit Komrij and Driek van Wissen, the first two DDVs, each wrote a new poem especially for this series. In addition to hundreds of individual publications from all of these enthusiastic printers, the Koninklijke Bibliotheek also possesses at least thirty of these types of co-operative projects. From now on, the participating printers can rightfully claim the title of Printer Laureate.

(PVC)