Beerten won the Golden Owl Young Readers Award (Gouden Uil Prijs van de Jonge Lezer) as well as the Book Lion (Boekenleeuw) for ‘Allemaal willen we de hemel'. The Dutch-language press has praised ‘Allemaal willen we de hemel' as a new ‘classic for young readers', but this book can hold its own as a cross-over novel for adults too.
At the international book fairs in Frankfurt, Germany (October 2008), and in Bologna, Italy (March 2009), the Flemish Literature Fund (FLF) presented Beerten's novel to foreign publishers. ‘Allemaal willen we de hemel' was put in the spotlight by means of an information file, a sample translation into English and a lot of enthusiasm about this beautiful novel.
The FLF's intensification of international promotional activities is starting to pay off more and more. Award-winning Norwegian publishing house Cappelen Damm previously also translated ‘Een miljoen vlinders' (One million butterflies, De Eenhoorn) by Carll Cneut and Edward van de Vendel with the support of the FLF. As it happens, Cappelen Damm was one of nine publishers of children's and youth literature that attended the first publishers tour in Flanders. During five days, the FLF immersed them in the Flemish book world.
The FLF plans another publishers tour in November 2009, for publishers of prose and poetry. A second publishers tour for publishers of children's and youth literature will take place in February 2010.
The FLF expects that both Grup 62 and Cappelen Damm will apply for a translation grant. The amount of such a grant can add up to two thirds of the translation costs.
