Antoine de Kom

Antoine Adrianus Raymondus de Kom (The Hague, 13 Augustus 1956) is a Dutch psychiatrist, writer and poet of Surinamese descent.

Antoine de Kom
Antoine de Kom (2006)
Born
Antoine Adrianus Raymondus de Kom

(1956-08-13) 13 August 1956
The Hague, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
Other namesRaymond Sarucco[1]
OccupationPsychiatrist, author, poet
Notable work
Ritmisch zonder string (2013),
Het misdadige brein (2012)

Biography

His grandfather was Anton de Kom, the famous Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonialist.[1] In 1966 the family moved to Paramaribo, Suriname where he spend his formative years.[1] In 1971, de Kom studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam after which he specialised in psychiatry. He started his career as a forensic psychiatrist at the Pieter Baan Centre.[2]

Antoine de Kom in 2012 at the first Cola Debrot Lecture. Photo: Bert Nienhuis

In 1981, he made his debut under the pseudonym Raymond Sarucco with Palmen in the magazine De Gids.[1][3] The poems expressed de Kom's connection to the Caribbean and his fascination for their past and present.[1] His first collection Tropen (1991) was nominated for the C. Buddingh'-prijs.[4]

As a forensic psychiatrist, de Kom published Het misdadige brein: over het kwaad in onszelf (2012) in which he described fictitious conversations with historic criminals and despots.[2]

In 2013, Antoine de Kom gave the third Cola Debrot Lecture about slavery.[5] In 2014, Antoine de Kom was awarded VSB Poetry Prize for Ritmisch zonder string (2013).[6] When asked whether de Kom considered his writings Surinamese literature, de Kom replied that he could not answer that; he is just as much an outcast as his grandfather.[7]

References
  1. "Schrijvers en dichters (dbnl biografieënproject I)". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). 2003. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. "Antoine de Kom". Studium Generale University of Utrecht (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  3. "De Gids. Jaargang 152 - Raymond Sarucco - Palmen". Digital Library for Dutch Literature (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  4. "antoine de kom". Poetry International (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. "Cola Debrotlezing 2013: In de straten van de hemel (1)". Werkgroep Caraïbische Letteren (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  6. "VSB Poëzieprijs gaat naar Antoine de Kom". nu.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  7. "Interview Antoine de Kom: 'Ik ben een outcast net zoals mijn grootvader dat was.'". Werkgroep Caraïbische Letteren (in Dutch). 16 February 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
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