J. Bernlef
Life
Life
----

Marsman was born on 14 January 1937 in [Sint Pancras](/wiki/Sint_Pancras "Sint Pancras") and worked in a number of genres under a variety of pseudonyms, which included Ronnie Appelman, J. Grauw, Cas den Haan, S. den Haan, and Cas de Vries. There had already been a well\-known Dutch poet named [Hendrik Marsman](/wiki/Hendrik_Marsman "Hendrik Marsman") who had died in 1940, so this Marsman preferred to take the name of an 8th\-century blind [Frisian](/wiki/Frisia "Frisia") poet named [Bernlef](/wiki/Bernlef "Bernlef") as his chief [nom de plume](/wiki/Pen_name "Pen name").

1958 was a key year in Bernlef's life, during which he spent some time in Sweden, enabling him years later to translate Swedish writers; he also co\-edited the English language *A pulp magazine for the dead generation* (under the name Henk Marsman) with the Beat poet [Gregory Corso](/wiki/Gregory_Corso "Gregory Corso"), published from Paris by [Piero Heliczer](/wiki/Piero_Heliczer "Piero Heliczer")’s The Dead Language Press.[Piero Heliczer \- publications edited printed, and published](https://verdantpress.com/checklist/piero-heliczer/publications-edited-printed-and-published) Together with two other poets, [K. Schippers](/wiki/K._Schippers "K. Schippers") and G. Brands, he went on to visit the [Dada](/wiki/Dada "Dada") exhibition at the [Stedelijk Museum](/wiki/Stedelijk_Museum "Stedelijk Museum") and inspired by that launched with them the seminal magazine *Barbarber* (1958\-71\).

In 1960 his first poetry collection, *Kokkels* (Cockles) was awarded the Reina Prinsen Geerligs\-prijs. In that year he married Eva Hoornik, daughter of the poet Ed. Hoornik, by whom he eventually had two children. At the same time, his friend Schippers married her twin sister Erica. Later he began writing novels and became widely known for his *Hersenschimmen* (translated as *Out of Mind*) in 1984\. He was an industrious writer and shortly before his death a photo showed the pile of his works as equaling him in height.

Bernlef died on 29 October 2012, aged 75, at his home in [Amsterdam](/wiki/Amsterdam "Amsterdam") after a short illness. One tribute paid to Bernlef then hailed him as "one of the greats of Dutch literature." Another, from Sara Whyatt, Deputy Director of [PEN International](/wiki/PEN_International "PEN International"), pointed out that "Henk was not only a distinguished writer himself, but also a great defender of other writers." In the late 1980s, he had taken over as director of The PEN Emergency Fund, a lifeline to writers and their families whose lives had been blighted by prison, threats, torture and censorship, and worked untiringly for their relief.


Who published The Dead Language Press?