Lode Zielens


Ludovicus Carolus Zielens was a Belgian novelist and journalist. He has written many novels, his novel being the most well known. He also received several awards in recognition for his work.

Biography

Early life and works

He was born in Antwerp to a poor family, Lode Zielens worked in the docks. His first work, Schoolkolonie, was published in Elsevier’s Monthly Magazine. This brought him into contact with literary circles, including writers Herman Robbers and Frans Verschoren. Verschoren found Zielens an office job, but this was not to his liking. Schoolkolonie received a number of awards, and this led to Zielens joining the Socialist newspaper Volksgazet as an editor. Het duistere bloed of 1931 was a further success. His 1934 novel Moeder, waarom leven wij? is considered his finest work and was filmed in 1993.
Zielens was killed in a V-2 rocket attack at the end of World War II. He is buried at the Schoonselhof cemetery in Antwerp.