Mirjam Oldenhave
Mirjam Oldenhave (b. 1960) has written over twenty children’s books and is best known for her amusing, realistic stories, such as 'Donna Lisa' (1999, which won a Vlag en Wimpel award) and 'Mees Kees'.
She is widely respected for her writing skills and has an admiring host of young readers, which is no surprise. Her life as a foster parent and her previous work experience (ten years as a drama therapist for problem children) have given her perfect insight into children and their concerns. She lives with her husband in Amsterdam, where she combines her writing with work as a tutor at the SCRIPTplus writing academy. Voor jou tien anderen (Ten a Penny, 2008) is a fine demonstration of her talent.
Her books are light-hearted and full of sparkle, with surprising twists and adventures, meeting the first requirement which children have about a book: to provide reading pleasure. Although Oldenhave doesn’t shy at more weighty topics her main strength lies in telling fast-paced, exciting, humourous stories.