Holocaust als non-fictie in de hedendaagse Nederlandse en Vlaamse jeugdliteratuur

Abstract

The past two decades have seen a growing proliferation and generic (intermedial) diversification of Holocaust-related fiction and non-fiction in the Dutch language. At the hands of Dutch and Flemish authors of the third generation as well as writers who do not have a personal connection with the Holocaust, genres as diverse as the historical novel, picture books, the graphic novel, comic books and informational books have become the platform for creative engagement with the Shoah. In view of the growing temporal distance separating contemporary readers from the actual events of the Holocaust children’s literature, we saw its informative function being reinforced and revaluated. In this paper, I review Dutch and Flemish children’s literature about the Holocaust created in the 21st century. Special attention is paid to the literary methods and interventions used by authors in order to authenticate the narrative and frame it as non-fiction. These strategies demonstrate the further change in child images: the child is increasingly becoming a full-fledged participant in society and is as such entitled to historical truth, even if this truth is horrifying.