Jan van Aken

(Herwen en Aerdt, NL, 1961) is a writer of historical novels. He debuted with Het oog van de Basilisk (The Eye of the Basilisk, 2000), followed by De valse dageraad (The False Dawn, 2001), De dwaas van Palmyra (The Fool of Palmyra, 2003), Het fluwelen labyrint (The Velvet Labyrinth, 2005) and Koning voor een dag (King for a Day, 2008). His 2013 novel De afvallige (The Apostate) wom the Gouden Vullings. Van Aken is often called the Umberto Eco of the Low Countries. In his novel De ommegang (The Procession), which won the 2018 F. Bordewijk Prize, the memory artist, healer and architect Isidorus van Rillington has a encounter in 1450 that completely changes his life. Tzum wrote the following about it: "What literature can do: shape a past reality in such a way that it comes alive for those who have the ability to believe in it." The author also writes for Optima and Nieuw Wereldtijdschrift and teaches at the Schrijversvakschool (Writers' School).