Writersblog

Salomon Kroonenberg

Salomon Kroonenberg, Dutch writer

The Dutch programme at the International Book Fair in Beijing was cunn... >>> read more

Henk Pröpper

Henk Pröpper, Director Dutch Foundation for Literature

In two weeks’ time, the official opening of one of the largest b... >>> read more

Kai Kang

Kai Kang, Journalist China Reading Weekly

Dear Dutch publishers. The book fair is over. Perhaps you’ll now... >>> read more

Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

Ingrid and Dieter Schubert, Dutch illustrators

The days are full and long. We are incessantly bombarded with impressi... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

Arriving on the stand on the first day, I’d asked a Chinese visi... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

Big excitement today since we were finally meeting with Songyu from Fl... >>> read more

Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

Ingrid and Dieter Schubert, Dutch illustrators

It’s now the third day, and the first one with plenty of sun. Un... >>> read more

Kai Kang

Kai Kang, Journalist China Reading Weekly

What a great opportunity to learn about the Dutch literature for Chine... >>> read more

Salomon Kroonenberg

Salomon Kroonenberg, Dutch writer

A duck flies to and fro over the vast expanses of world ocean, despera... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

‘In the era of browsing, we provide reading.’ - Slogan see... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

The jewel in the crown of our collection of Arbeiderspers titles publi... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

The Chinese publishers I have met during the course of my career, the ... >>> read more

Salomon Kroonenberg

Salomon Kroonenberg, Dutch writer

I have so far never been to a book fair. Nor do I know what to imagine... >>> read more

Kai Kang

Kai Kang, Journalist China Reading Weekly

Since 2006, I began writing about the Netherlands’ performance a... >>> read more

Henk Pröpper

Henk Pröpper, Director Dutch Foundation for Literature

Now that the fair is just round the corner, this is perhaps the moment... >>> read more

Michele Hutchison

Michele Hutchison, Editor De Arbeiderspers

The traffic in Beijing is horrendous, I’m sure the other blogger... >>> read more

Thomas Möhlmann

Thomas Möhlmann, Staff member Dutch Foundation for Literature

What an evening the poets and the approximately 200 onlookers present ... >>> read more


Thé Tjong-Khing - The Storyteller’s Thirty Most Beautiful Fairytales

Thé Tjong-Khing - The Storyteller’s Thirty Most Beautiful Fairytales

Thé Tjong-Khing, the most highly acclaimed illustrator in the Netherlands, realized when he was reading stories to his grandson just how complex fairytales can be. Gottmer commissioned him to compile two books of fairytales, in which he recounted famous tales in his own clear style, with plenty of witty asides.

The Storyteller’s Thirty Most Beautiful Fairytales contains a selection from those two books, ranging from Snow White to Bluebeard. The collection reveals Thé to be not only a gifted storyteller but a sophisticated illustrator of mysterious fairytale scenes, combining as he does a Western eye with oriental precision and a penchant for the spooky to create his intriguing pictures.

Since childhood the artist has had a love of scary stories, which is why he takes such pleasure in illustrating fairytales: danger is always lurking around the corner. In this book the realism and vitality of Thé’s earlier work make room for a gentle naivety and a great sense of tranquillity. The enchanting illustrations, drawn with the innocence of a child and the skill of an adult, ensure that this book of fairytales will be around for many years to come.

Quotes

  • ‘Unadorned tales, not too sweet, not too gruesome, and told without any wasted words. A must-have book with three hundred pages.’ – J/M Magazine