Lampo, Hubert |
| WRITER, JOURNALIST (BELGIUM) |
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BORN 1 Sep 1920, Antwerpen: Beertschotstraat - DIED 12 Jul 2006, Essen, Antwerpen GRAVE LOCATION Antwerpen: Schoonselhof, Sint-Bernardsesteenweg, Hoboken (perk R, rij 11 (ashes)) |
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Hubert Lampo was born at Het Kiel, a suburb of Antwerp. His father worked for the national mail service and his mother was a teacher. They were both socialists. In 1938 he graduated as a teacher but after serving in the army he became a journalist in 1945. In 1948 he started working as an inspector of public libraries and after he became chief inspector of the libraries in 1965 he quit journalism. He debuted as a novelist in 1943 with the short novel "Don Juan en the laatste nimf". The book already showed signs of the magic realism that would make him famous in later years. His first full novel "Hélène Defraye" was published in 1945. "De ruiter op de wolken" (1949) had autobiographical elements. From 1953 onwards his novels were often set in Antwerp. "De komst van Joachim Stiller" ("The Coming of Joachim Stiller") (1960) was to be his best known novel. Lampo suffered from tensions after his three marriages had all failed and writing this novel had a therapeutic effect on him. In 1965 he moved to Kempen with his fourth wife wife Lucia and in 1970 he visited Stonehenge for the first time. He was so impressed by Stonehenge that he would use it repeatedly in his later work. In 1972 he published a collection of essays as "De Zwanen van Stonehenge" ("The Swans of Stonehenge"). He continued writing into old age but eventually he suffered from Alzheimer and the death of Lucia in 2005 was a heavy blow for him. He died one year later in Essen in Flanders. His remains were cremated at Wilrijk and his ashes were buried at the Schoonselhof i Antwerp. |
| Images |
 The grave of Hubert Lampo at the Schoonselhof, Antwerpen. Picture by Androom (30 apr 2012) |
