The Woutertje Pieterse Prize goes to the ingeniously built up and illustrated coming-of-agent ‘Oever’ by Ludwig Volbeda

Writer and illustrator Ludwig Volbeda has for his children’s novel Shore The Woutertje Pieterse Prize 2025 won, the annual youth literature prize worth 15,000 euros. That was announced on Saturday afternoon in the NPO Radio 1 program The language state. The jury, chaired by presenter Rik van de Westelaken, mentioned Shore « A overwhelming and loving ode to » becoming who you are, « who touches all the senses. »

Shore Is the prose debut of the 34-year-old Volbeda, and yet the second Woutertje Pieterse prize he receives. He previously caused a furore as an illustrator of children’s books: for his illustration work in Whole stories for half a soldier (2020) he shared The Woutertje Pieterse Prize with writer Benny Lindelauf. For those illustrations, which gave the qualifications ‘Ragfijn’ and ‘super detailed’ a new benchmark, Volbeda was also honored with the Golden Brush, the annual illustration head prize. He also won it twice: a few years earlier he also received the brush for his work in Fabeld animals (2017) Van Floortje Zwigtman.

But with Shore Volbeda did something new: here he also wrote the story himself, and here the text got the upper hand, illustrations play a much smaller role. Nevertheless, according to the jury, the drawings are « an essential part of the story and (…) the guideline up to the moving end. »

Space for interpretation

The Woutertje Pieterse Prize, who, in his almost forty -year history, only went to a debut, has traditionally been explicitly awarded based on the text and the image together. « Volbeda writes as he also draws: carefully and detailed, with an eye for the smallest and apparent insignificant-but with a lot of room for the reader’s interpretation, » said the jury, who also spoke of an « ingeniously accumulated and illustrated coming-of-agoman ».

Shore Is about the teenager Jip who has to draw a self -portrait as a school assignment, but gets stuck in it. The problem: the outside of his body is not in line with how Jip feels inside. With that reveals Shore Gradually like a book about a trans Identity-a theme that is not often addressed in the youth literature. « A book about gender identity that is written with this attention and finesse is not often encountered, » written reviewer Aukelien Weverling last year in NRC. Also got Shore This spring the shortlist of De Boon, the Flemish youth literature prize.

Subtle and tangible Shore About the struggle of a child that turns out to be Trans: from the initial discomfort and ignoring that trans identity, gradually to the realization that it cannot be denied, to the embrace. « In clear, short sentences, Volbeda outlines a portrait of a touching and vulnerable adolescent, struggling with life in general and its own identity in particular, » the jury said.

Autobiographical roots

The story of Shore has autobiographical roots, Ludwig Volbeda told an interview at the beginning of this year NRC. « That it would be a theme in the book was not my first intention, not my second and not my third. I had intended to work very much from my interests, not from my identity – because I feel more comfortable with that. »

And yet he did not escape the uncomfortable personal subject – a little as Jip first imagines that his body does not matter and he withdraws into his head. But, Volbeda said: “No matter how beautiful the shelter of your head is, it’s half a life. But I have Shore Also written to show multiple sides at the same time. Because there is also beauty in his flight of his body. He does fantastic things with his head.  » That attitude reflects the nuanced character of Volbeda’s book.

Five other books were also nominated for the Woutertje Pieterse Prize, of which three former winners of the youth literature prize: Bette Westera with The collection of poems Closer to the seasons (together with illustrator Henriette Boerendans), Benny Lindelauf with The picture book The woman and his head (together with illustrator Ingrid Godon) and Ted van Lieshout with The collection of poems ME. Were nominated for the first time David Vlietstra and Yoko Heiligers, for Violet Sopjes listand, and Enne Koens and Maartje Kuiper for Today we will not come home anymore.

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