Herman van Veen - Eighty

Herman van Veen, born on 14 March 1945, grew up in Utrecht and went to the music conservatory after leaving school. He made his theatre debut in 1965 with the solo programme “Harlekijn”. Since then, he has travelled all over the world with his performances. He has published around one hundred and eighty CDs, as many books and two dozen theatre plays and has also been a successful painter for over 10 years.

He has received various awards for his artistic and humanitarian work. In 1990 he received the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and in 1991 the Golden Camera for Alfred Jodocus Kwak. In 1993, he was made a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau and the Netherlands Lion. In 1999, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contribution to German-Dutch understanding. In 2005, he was honoured with the Martin Buber Plaque and in 2012 with the Münchhausen Prize. He received an honorary doctorate from the Free University of Brussels and the Planetary Consciousness Award from the Club of Budapest. In France, he was awarded the Grand Prix de l’Académie Charles Cros de Littérature Musicale.

In 2020, he received the Joachim Ringelnatz Prize in Cuxhaven. Herman van Veen is the father of four children, grandfather of three grandchildren and stepfather of the orphaned duck Alfred Jodocus Kwak.