Harriet Laurey (1924–2004)

Harriet Laurey was born in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and attended the Catharinalyceum. She trained as a secretary and worked in Eindhoven and later in Amsterdam.

She made her debut as a published poet in 1945 with "Laatste gebed in De Nieuwe Eeuw" (Last Prayer in the New Century). Her first collection of poetry, Loreley, was published in 1952. It was followed by Oorbellen (Earrings, 1954), consisting of love poems in quatrain form that were widely acclaimed by a large audience. That year, Harriet received the literary prize of the Groot-Kempic Cultuurdagen in Hilvarenbeek.

In 1955, she married journalist Ton Neelissen, with whom she had two children and lived in Haarlem. At that point, she gave up poetry to write and translate children's books, producing more than 80 titles over the next 50 years. Among her successes was Verhalen van de spinnende kater (Stories of the Spinning Hangover, 1969), which was named Children's Book of the Year.