This classic of queer literature – as electrifying today as it was when it first appeared in 1982 – tells the story of a courageous Black woman trying to live a life of her choosing
Astrid Roemer
Astrid Roemer was a Surinamese-Dutch writer and teacher
In 1966, at the age of 19, Astrid Roemer emigrated from Suriname to the Netherlands. She identified 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.
Born in 1947, Astrid Roemer died in January 2026.
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
All nominated books
This classic of queer literature – as electrifying today as it was when it first appeared in 1982 – tells the story of a courageous Black woman trying to live a life of her choosing
