Maarten Asscher

(Alkmaar, 1957) is a Dutch poet, prose writer, translator and publisher. He studied law. Asscher worked with a literary publisher for many years, lastly as general director of J.M. Meulenhoff. Between 1998 and 2004 he headed the arts department of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Now he is general manager of bookshop Athenaeum in Amsterdam. In 1992 Asscher made his debut with the short story anthology Dodeneiland, vier geschiedenissen (Island of the Dead, Four Histories). He published stories, poems, poetry translations, essays, two novellas and a novel (Het uur en de dag, 2005; The Hour and the Day). The rights for his novellas were sold to film producer Rob Houwer. De verstekeling (The Stowaway) was nominated for the Ako literature prize 2000.