About Johan Polak

About Johan Polak

Johan Polak (1928-1992) was a remarkable figure in the Dutch publishing world. As a publisher, he started the publishing house 'Polak & van Gennep' in 1962 together with Rob van Gennep. Six years later, he founded his own publishing house 'Athenaeum – Polak & Van Gennep', which became known for its beautifully designed books. He also established the now iconic 'Athenaeum Bookstore' on the Spui in Amsterdam. Besides his work in the publishing world, Polak was a passionate collector of special editions and maintained contacts with prominent writers such as Gerard Reve. He was also a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ emancipation in the Netherlands, including through the magazine Dialoog.

In 1990, shortly before his death, he established the Johan Polak Foundation for the Preservation of Special Books. What started as a tribute to special literature has now grown into the foundations of an important new milestone in the Dutch poetry world: the Johan Polak Poetry Prize.

About the Johan Polak Poetry Prize Foundation

With the same passion for literature that characterized Johan Polak, the Johan Polak Poetry Prize Foundation has a clear mission: “To enrich the Dutch cultural landscape with high-quality poetry and inspire people to engage with poetic works.

To achieve this, the foundation awards a prize each year to the most beautiful poetry collection of the past three years. The board consists of Wiljan van den Akker (chairman), Lut Missinne (secretary), and Koen Hilberdink (treasurer). Liesbeth Feikema is the board secretary. The members of the board perform their work for the foudation voluntarily and without compensation.

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