Belgian literature explained

Because modern Belgium is a multilingual country,[1] Belgian literature is often treated as a branch of French literature or Dutch literature. Some writing also exists in the regional languages of Belgium, with published works in both the Walloon language, closely related to French, and also in various regional Flemish or Dutch-related dialects.

German is the third official language in Belgium and is spoken by a small community of about 70,000 German-speakers of the German-speaking Community of Belgium in the border region Eupen-Malmedy. See .

Dutch/Flemish writers

See main article: Flemish Literature.

See also

Belgian literature in French

See also

Belgian literature in Walloon

Literature in Walloon has been printed since the 16th century or at least since the beginning of the 17th century.[2] Its golden age was in the 19th century: 'That period saw an efflorescence of Walloon literature, plays and poems primarily, and the founding of many theaters and periodicals.' [3] Yves Quairiaux counted 4800 plays for 1860–1914, published or not.[4] In this period plays were almost the only popular show in Wallonia. But this theater remains popular in present-day Wallonia: Theatre is still flourishing with over 200 non-professional companies playing in the cities and villages of Wallonia for an audience of over 200,000 each year.[5] Jacques Ancion wanted to develop a regular adult audience.[6] This regional literature most commonly deals with local folklore and ancient traditions, the most prominent Walloon author being Arthur Masson.[7] [8]

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External links

Notes and references

  1. Dutch, French and German are legally the three official languages in Belgium, see: Belgium, European Union
  2. In his Anthologie de la littérature wallonne, Mardaga, Liège, 1978, Maurice Piron is speaking (p. 5) about four dialogues printed between 1631 and 1636
  3. 'Switching Languages', Translingual Writers Reflect on Their Craft, Edited by Steven G. Kellman Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2003, p. 153.
  4. Yves Quairiaux, L'image du Flamand en Wallonie, Essai d'analyse sociale et politique (1830-1914), Labor, Bruwxelles, 2006, p. 126.
  5. Web site: The Walloon Language Page. 1 January 2012. wa.
  6. Joan Gross, Speaking in Other Voices: An Ethnography of Walloon Puppet Theaters. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Press, 2001,
  7. Web site: Biography of Arthur Masson. 11 November 2012. fr.
  8. Web site: Arthur Masson Museum bibliography. www.espacemasson.be. 11 November 2012. fr. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182121/http://www.espacemasson.be/index.php?page=biblio. 3 March 2016.
  1. Dutch, French and German are legally the three official languages in Belgium, see: Belgium, European Union
  2. In his Anthologie de la littérature wallonne, Mardaga, Liège, 1978, Maurice Piron is speaking (p. 5) about four dialogues printed between 1631 and 1636
  3. 'Switching Languages', Translingual Writers Reflect on Their Craft, Edited by Steven G. Kellman Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2003, p. 153.
  4. Yves Quairiaux, L'image du Flamand en Wallonie, Essai d'analyse sociale et politique (1830-1914), Labor, Bruwxelles, 2006, p. 126.
  5. Web site: The Walloon Language Page. 1 January 2012. wa.
  6. Joan Gross, Speaking in Other Voices: An Ethnography of Walloon Puppet Theaters. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins Press, 2001,
  7. Web site: Biography of Arthur Masson. 11 November 2012. fr.
  8. Web site: Arthur Masson Museum bibliography. www.espacemasson.be. 11 November 2012. fr. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182121/http://www.espacemasson.be/index.php?page=biblio. 3 March 2016.

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