Simone Atangana Bekono

Simone Atangana Bekono (1991) is a writer of prose and poetry. She has authored columns and essays for various newspapers and magazines and serves as an editor at the literary journal De Revisor. In 2016, she graduated from Creative Writing ArtEZ with a collection of poems and letters titled hoe de eerste vonken zichtbaar waren, which was reprinted by Wintertuin Uitgeverij in collaboration with Lebowski Publishers. The collection received the Poetry Debut Prize Aan Zee in 2018. In 2019, she was awarded the Charlotte Köhler Stipendium for her poetry. Her debut novel, Confrontaties, was published in 2020, garnering praise and earning her the Hebban Debut Prize, the Anton Wachter Prize, and the Best Book for Young People award. The novel made it to the shortlist for both the Libris Literature Prize 2021 and the Bronzen Uil. In 2022, Simone wrote the novella Zo hoog de zon stond for the Brabants Boek Present, with a public edition released by the Arbeiderspers. The novella received acclaim and secured a place on the longlist for the Libris Literature Prize 2023. Simone’s much-anticipated second poetry collection, Marshmallow, was published by the Arbeiderspers in early 2024. Simone Atangana Bekono's work has been translated into English, German, French, Spanish, and Turkish.