{{Short description|Belgian writer and poet}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Dimitri Verhulst | image = Svět knihy 2011 - Dimitri Verhulst.jpg | image_size = | alt = Dimitri Verhulst | caption = Dimitri Verhulst | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|10|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Aalst, Belgium | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = poet, writer }}
'''Dimitri Verhulst''' (born 2 October 1972) is a Belgian writer and poet. He is best known for his novels ''Problemski Hotel'' and ''The Misfortunates''.
==Biography== Verhulst was an unwanted child in a violent home and spent his later childhood in a foster home and a family replacing home.<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.literairnederland.nl/2008/06/16/dimitri-verhulst/ |title=Dimitri Verhulst |publisher=Literair Nederland |language=nl |accessdate=4 August 2019}}</ref> He grew up Catholic.<ref name=akkerman>{{cite news|url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4512/Cultuur/article/detail/4180729/2015/11/07/De-gruwelijke-Bijbel-van-Dimitri-Verhulst.dhtml|title=De gruwelijke Bijbel van Dimitri Verhulst|last=Akkerman|first=Stevo|date=7 November 2015|work=Trouw|language=nl|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> As a writer, he made his debut in 1994 with the self-published ''Assevrijdag''.<ref name="bio"/> In 1999 his first official publication appeared, a collection of stories about his youth, ''De kamer hiernaast'', for which he was nominated for the NRC Literair Prijs.<ref name="bio"/> The novel ''Niets, niemand en redelijk stil'' (2000) is also about his youth, but ''De verveling van de keeper'' (2002) signals a change in form and is characterized by great social and political involvement.<ref name="schrijversgewijs">{{cite web|url=http://schrijversgewijs.be/schrijvers/verhulst-dimitri/ |title=Verhulst, Dimitri – Schrijversgewijs |publisher=Schrijversgewijs.be|language=nl |date=2008-09-23 |accessdate=2014-05-30}}</ref> In 2001, Verhulst published ''Liefde, tenzij anders vermeld'', a collection of poetry.
His breakthrough to the general public was in 2003, with ''Problemski Hotel'' (translated as ''Problemski Hotel''), about residents of an asylum-seekers' centre in Arendonk (Belgium). The book was translated into more than ten languages.<ref name="schrijversgewijs"/> Belgian filmmaker Manu Riche made a movie based on the book, which is to premiere in January 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.humo.be/humo-archief/356660/problemski-hotel-manu-riche-verfilmt-dimitri-verhulst|title='Problemski Hotel': Manu Riche verfilmt Dimitri Verhulst|date=13 October 2015|work=HUMO|language=nl|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> In 2006 his novel ''De helaasheid der dingen'' (translated as ''The Misfortunates'') was published, and also the novella ''Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af'' (translated as ''Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill''). In 2008, ''Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol'' ("Goddamn days on a goddamn globe") was published, for which Verhulst won the 2009 Libris Prize;<ref name="bio"/><ref name=akkerman/> Verhulst wrote the 2015 ''Boekenweekgeschenk'', ''De zomer hou je ook niet tegen''.<ref name=akkerman/> His 2015 novel ''Bloedboek'' ("Bloodbook"), a retelling of the Pentateuch, was praised in ''De Morgen'' for its amusement value;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.demorgen.be/expo/bloedboek-van-dimitri-verhulst-amusement-verzekerd-b038154c/|title=Bloedboek van Dimitri Verhulst: Amusement verzekerd ***(*)|last=Leyman|first=Dirk|date=4 November 2015|work=De Morgen|language=nl|accessdate=8 November 2015}}</ref> in the Dutch daily ''Trouw'' it was called a "gruesome bible", with the interviewer questioning Verhulst about his use of terms such as "Final solution" in retelling the first five books of the bible. Verhulst responded that he used the "worldwide language of genocide".<ref name=akkerman/>
Verhulst publishes on a regular basis in the literary journals ''Underground'', ''Nieuw Wereldtijdschrift'' and ''De Brakke Hond''. For ''Underground'' he is also an editor.<ref name="bio"/> He lives and works in Huccorgne.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.standaard.be/cnt/n6286hqf?subsection=4 |title='Het was meteen koekenbak tussen ons' – De Standaard |publisher=Standaard.be |date=2009-03-28 |language=nl|accessdate=2014-05-30}}</ref>
==Writing style== Verhulst's writing style has been characterized as sarcastic but compassionate. His use of language can be explicit and hilarious.<ref name="bio"/> Belgian writer Louis Paul Boon is a source of inspiration for Verhulst.<ref name="bio"/>
His writing is controversial, and Verhulst was twice summoned to court.<ref name="bio"/>
==Controversy== On 27 July 2019, Verhulst published a newspaper column in the Belgian daily De Morgen about Palestinian modern literature.<ref name="Verhulst-Morgen-2019">{{Cite web | url=https://www.demorgen.be/meningen/er-is-geen-beloofde-land-er-is-gestolen-land~bc0a2d94/ | author=Dimitri Verhulst | title=Er is geen beloofde land. Er is gestolen land | date=27 July 2019 | publisher=De Morgen | language=nl | accessdate=4 August 2019 }}</ref> In this column by Verhulst, he claimed to quote Serge Gainsbourg writing that: " "Jood-zijn is geen godsdienst; er is geen enkele God die Zijn schepsels zo’n lelijke neus zou geven." (Translated: "Being Jewish is not a religion; there is no God who would give His creatures such an ugly nose.") According to The Times of Israel, this was not Gainsbourgs original quote and Verhulst accused Israeli Jews of various crimes in his columns. The Times of Israel stated the Forum of Jewish Organizations of Belgium's Flemish region accused Verhulst of expressing “rabid anti-Semitism” in his column and the Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs called the column “pure anti-Semitism."<ref>{{cite news |last=Liphshiz |first=Cnaan |date=3 August 2019 |title=Jews have ugly noses, Belgian journalist writes in column attacking Israel |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/jews-have-ugly-noses-belgian-journalist-writes-in-column-attacking-israel/ |work=The Times of Israel |access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref>
The Forum of Jewish Organizations has withdrawn its decision to file criminal charges against writer and columnist Dimitri Verhulst. The Jewish umbrella organization announced this in a press release.
Published 7 October 2019 in a.o. [https://www.knack.be/nieuws/belgie/forum-der-joodse-organisaties-ziet-af-van-strafklacht-tegen-dimitri-verhulst/ Knack], [https://www.standaard.be/nieuws/geen-antisemitismeklacht-tegen-dimitri-verhulst/47824067.html De Standaard], [https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/10/07/toch-geen-klacht-wegens-antisemitisme-voor-dimitri-verhulst/ VRT]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anke |first=Van Meer |date=7 October 2019 |title=Toch geen klacht wegens antisemitisme voor Dimitri Verhulst |url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/10/07/toch-geen-klacht-wegens-antisemitisme-voor-dimitri-verhulst/ |access-date=7 October 2019 |work=vrt |pages=100}}</ref>
==Bibliography== * ''Assevrijdag'' (1994) * ''De kamer hiernaast'' (1999) * ''Niets, niemand en redelijk stil'' (2001) * ''Liefde, tenzij anders vermeld'' (2001, poetry) * ''De verveling van de keeper'' (2002) * ''Problemski Hotel'' (2003) * ''Dinsdagland'' (2004) * ''De aankomst in de bleke morgen op dat bleke plein (Aalst)'' (2005, play) * ''Yerma vraagt een toefeling'' (2005, translation of ''Yerma'' by Federico García Lorca) * ''Boekendiefstal is een zegen voor de middenstand'' (2005) * ''De helaasheid der dingen'' (2006, ''The Misfortunates''; there is also a 2009 film version called ''The Misfortunates'') * ''Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af'' (2006, ''Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill'') * ''Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol'' (2008) * ''De laatste liefde van mijn moeder'' (2010) * ''De zeven laatste zinnen'' (2010) * ''Monoloog van iemand die het gewoon werd tegen zichzelf te praten'' (2011) * ''De intrede van Christus in Brussel'' (2011, ''Entry of Christ into Brussels'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.letterenfonds.nl/en/book/786/entry-of-christ-into-brussels |title=Book – Entry of Christ into Brussels – Letterenfonds |publisher=Letterenfonds.nl |date= |language=nl|accessdate=2014-05-30}}</ref> * ''De laatkomer'' (2013) * ''Kaddisj voor een kut'' (2014) * ''Bloedboek'' (2015) * ''De zomer hou je ook niet tegen'' (2015, Boekenweekgeschenk) * ''Het leven gezien van beneden'' (2016) * ''Spoo Pee Doo'' (2016)<ref name="Atlas">{{Cite web | url=http://www.atlascontact.nl/internationale-publicatie-nieuwe-roman-dimitri-verhulst-over-de-aanslagen-in-europa/ | author= | title=Internationale publicatie nieuwe roman Dimitri Verhulst over de aanslagen in Europa | date= | publisher=Atlas Contact | language=nl | accessdate= 4 August 2019}}</ref> * ''Stoppen met roken in 87 gedichten'' (2017) * ''De pruimenpluk'' (2019) * ''Hebben en zijn'' (2022)
==Awards== * ''Publieksprijs Gouden Uil'' for ''De helaasheid der dingen'' (2007) * ''De Inktaap'' for ''De helaasheid der dingen'' (2008) * ''Beste Boek 2008 HUMO's Pop Poll'' for ''Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol'' (2009) * ''Libris Literatuurprijs'' for ''Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol'' (2009)
==See also== {{portal|Poetry}} * Flemish literature
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verhulst, Dimitri}} Category:1972 births Category:Flemish poets Category:Libris Prize winners Category:Living people Category:People from Aalst, Belgium Category:20th-century Belgian writers Category:Antisemitism in Belgium