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Ward Ruyslinck

Raymond De Belser (b. Berchem, 17 June 1929), pseudonym Ward Ruyslinck is a Flemish writer. He is the son of Leo De Belser and Germaine Nauwelaers. His father was librarian at an oil company, and Ward Ruyslinck grew up in a Roman Catholic family. During the war the family moved to Mortsel.

Early life

At age 12, he had written a novel, Vaargeulen (in English, Channels). His father, who himself wrote the novel Gepantserde beschaving (Armoured civilization), sent his son's novel to Stijn Streuvels, who returned the novel unread, but with an accompanying letter full of recommendations. The manuscript was lost during an air raid in 1943, which devastated their house. He wrote a number of poems and stories, some of which were published in the daily Het Vlaamsche land.

After he finished high school in 1947, he attended the University of Ghent to study Germanic philology. He dropped out after a year, as the death of his older brother in 1948 affected h im deeply. He wrote five poems on this occasion, and which were distributed among family and friends as a souvenir.

Career

He had worked as a translator, for a traveling agency and at an oil company, he was appointed curator of the picture collection of the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp. He married Alice Burm, and together they have one son, Chris.

His collection of poems, Fanaal in de mist (1956), was awarded the Poëzieprijs der Algemene Kunstkamer in België. In 1957, he published the short story De ontaarde slapers, about one of his main themes -- the unequal battle between individuals and their communities.

His most read book Wierook en tranen (Incense and tears) was published in 1958. In 1961, with the novel Het dal van Hinnom he broke with church and society. In 1964, he moved to Pulle, and wrote the novel Het reservaat about the illusion of individual freedom. He won the Prijs voor Letterkunde van de Vlaamse provincies for this work. In 1966, he wrote the bittersweet fairy tale Golden Ophelia.

During the sixties and seventies he traveled a great deal, to research magazine articles, and visited Poland, the Soviet Union, Canada and Argentina. In 1975, he became a member of The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium, and he became its President in 1985. In 1980, he is awarded the first Europalia prize for his entire oeuvre.

Ward Ruyslinck retired in 1984. After his wife died in 1990, he moved to Meise. He lives there now with Monika Lo Cascio, and together they wrote De speeltuin in 1992.

Ruyslinck's work combines social commitment with a pessimistic view of life, and humor and satire. Several of his works were adapted for theatre. De slakken, Golden Ophelia and Wierook en tranen were made into movies.

Bibliography

1951 - De citer van Tijl
1952 - Het huis onder de beuken
1953 - De essentie van het zwijgen
1956 - Fanaal in de mist
1957 - De ontaarde slapers
1958 - Wierook en tranen
1959 - De madonna met de buil
1961 - Het dal van Hinnom
1962 - De stille zomer
1964 - Het reservaat
1965 - De paardevleeseters
1965 - Drek- en driftliteratuur
1966 - Golden Ophelia
1968 - Het ledikant van Lady Cant
1969 - De Karakoliërs
1970 - De apokatastasis of het apocriefe boek van Galax Niksen
1971 - De krekelput
1971 - Neozoïsch. Parapoëtische montages
1972 - De heksenkring
1973 - De verliefde akela
1974 - Het ganzenbord
1976 - In naam van de beesten
1977 - De sloper in het slakkehuis
1977 - Valentijn van Uytvanck
1978 - Op toernee met Leopold Sondag
1979 - Alle verhalen
1980 - Wurgtechnieken
1981 - Open brief aan de gevoelsafschaffers
1982 - De boze droom het medeleven
1983 - Leegstaande huizen
1983 - Open beeldboek
1985 - De uilen van Minerva
1987 - Stille waters
1988 - Hunkerend gevangen
1989 - IJlings naar nergens
1992 - De speeltuin
1993 - De claim van de duivel
1995 - Het geboortehuis
1997 - De bovenste trede
1999 - Traumachia

Awards

1958 - Romanprijs van de provincie Antwerpen
1958 - Romanprijs van de Kempische Cultuurdagen (Hilvarenbeek)
1959 - Referendum van de Vlaamse letterkundigen
1960 - Arkprijs van het Vrije Woord
1960 - Referendum van de Vlaamse letterkundigen
1962 - Referendum van de Vlaamse letterkundigen
1962 - De prijs van de Vlaamse lezer
1964 - August Beernaertprijs van de Koninklijke Academie Voor Nederlandse Taal-en letterkunde
1967 - Prijs voor Letterkunde van de Vlaamse Provinciën
1975 - Het Gulden Boek van de Lezende Jeugd (V.B.V.B.)
1976 - Romanprijs van de provincie Antwerpen
1980 - Europaliaprijs voor Literatuur
2005 - Prijs voor Letterkunde van de provincie Antwerpen voor het gezamenlijke oeuvre