Lezing Gé Vaartjes over zijn nieuwe biografie van Godfried Bomans

Gé Vaartjes gives a lecture about, Wingman Godfried Bomans 1913-1971, his new biography of Godfried Bomans. With signing afterwards.

Wingman

Godfried Bomans reached a large readership with Pieter Bas en Erik of het klein insectenboek. His fame increased further through columns in the Volkskrant and contributions to Elseviers Weekblad. But his collaboration on numerous television programs brought him the most fame. Millions of Dutch and Flemish people were charmed by his humor, mild irony, disruptive actions and thoughtful wisdom. His difficult stay on the uninhabited island of Rottumerplaat became legendary.

Bomans was multi-talented and was greatly admired. His name is still mentioned with awe. Yet he was above all an insecure, difficult to fathom and essentially lonely person. He was barely able to bear everyday reality and tried to give it colour and distort it into a reality that was acceptable to him. With his fantasy he gave wings to life.

Gé Vaartjes wrote the fascinating life story of this restless man, who fought fears all his life and sought shelter with a few good friends and several women. He portrays Bomans as a man who constantly doubted himself, but who was able to sharply identify the problems of his time.

Vleugelman is a monument to a writer – and paints a nuanced picture of the complicated person behind it.

Gé Vaartjes is a Dutch language and literature specialist. He worked in secondary education for thirty-four years, many of which at the Gymnasium Haganum in The Hague. Under the auspices of the Erasmus University, he gave Hovo lectures on Dutch and European literature. In 1999, his biography of Herman de Man was published and in 2010 he obtained his doctorate with the biography of Top Naeff (Rebel & dame). He is currently editor of the Couperus Cahiers and writes reviews for the Volkskrant.