| Wil Huygen | |
|---|---|
| Born | Willibrord Joseph Huygen June 23, 1922 Amersfoort, Netherlands |
| Died | January 14, 2009 (aged 86) Bilthoven, Netherlands |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Notable work(s) | The Secret Book of Gnomes |
Wil (Willibrord Joseph) Huygen (Amersfoort, Netherlands, 6/23/1922- 1/14/2009 Bilthoven, Netherlands), was a Dutch book author. He is best known for the picture books on gnomes, illustrated by Rien Poortvliet.[1][2][3]
Huygen, a painter in his own right, was born in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. The seventh of ten children, his primary occupation was that of a physician. This helps to explain the method he used to give realism and a sense of authenticity to his children's books about gnomes. He was married and had five children.
The first and most well known in this series is Gnomes (published in 1977, and originally known as Leven en werken van de Kabouter in Dutch). It was on top of the bestseller list of the New York Times for over a year. In the second book (De oproep der Kabouters) both Huygen and Poortvliet make appearances themselves in both the story and the illustrations as they get contacted by the gnomes because of Gnomes book they have written together. Huygens died January 14, 2009. He was 86 years old.[4]
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