Ronald Julen

(Nieuw-Nickerie, Suriname, 1947)went to the Netherlands in 1970 to study German and Dutch at the School for Language and Literature in The Hague and at the Vrije Leergangen (an open teaching methodology) in Amsterdam. On completing his studies he began a career in the field of education. In 1979 he returned to Surinam, first working as a journalist and later for the government. During his work for the government he followed a course for journalism, and at the same time studied communication theory at the Academy for Fine Arts and Cultural education, and also studied Law at the Anton de Kom University. At present he is director at the Ministry of Defence. His poems have appeared in various anthologies, such as de Spiegel van de Surinaamse poëzie (Mirror of Surinam Poetry) (1995) en Mama Sranan (1999). In 2003 he published on his own the collection of poems Als de tijd stilstaat (When time stands still).