Lode Zielens

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Ludovicus Carolus Zielens (13 June 1901–28 November 1944) was a Flemish language novelist and journalist.

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 (now absorbed by De Morgen) 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. He is buried in Antwerp.