Astrid Roemer is a Surinamese-Dutch writer and teacher
In 1966, at the age of 19, Astrid Roemer emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands. She identifies herself as a cosmopolitan writer. Exploring themes of race, gender, family, and identity, her poetic, unconventional prose stands in the tradition of authors such as Toni Morrison and Alice Walker. She was awarded the P.C. Hooft Prize in 2016, and the three-yearly Dutch Literature Prize (Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren) in 2021.
On a Woman’s Madness, the English translation of Over de gekte van een vrouw, which was first published in Dutch in 1982, was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.
A testament to the resilience of queer lives everywhere. A story of love, survival and freedom, woven with an artistically accomplished touch
— The 2025 judges on On a Woman's Madness
