PC/21 - Dick Bruna
Reference code
PC/21
Level of description
Series
Title
Dick Bruna
Date/s
[1990-2013?]
Quantity & Format
4 boxes
Personal name
Bruna, Dick
Scope and content
Dick Bruna (1927-2017) Dutch author, artist, illustrator and graphic designer.
Throughout the sixties and seventies Methuen published Dick Bruna’s picture books, particularly his increasingly popular Miffy stories. Alongside each illustration, Bruna would always create four lines of Dutch rhyming verse – however his editor at Methuen always denied it was possible to translate these lines into corresponding English verse. Bruna had grown to accept Methuen’s English versions in prose, even though he believed strongly that young children remember stories in rhyme far more easily. Then one day he happened to see an English translation of a book that a Dutch psychologist had written analysing his work. Surprised and impressed, Bruna discovered Patricia Crampton had translated his Dutch verse into perfect English meter, and thus began their long working partnership. He gave her 40 of his past books to re-translate, this time into English verse. [Ref PC/21/7/7 and published in 'In Other Words', No. 26, Winter 2005, by Catherine Fuller].
In 1991 PC translated 'Paradise in Pictograms: the Work of Dick Bruna' by Dick Bruna.
After the death of her husband in 1999, PC stopped translating, with the exception of Bruna's little square books about Miffy and friends - she had agreed to translate each of his books as he completed them, including his entire backlog. The last of the translated manuscripts is dated 2010.
Throughout the sixties and seventies Methuen published Dick Bruna’s picture books, particularly his increasingly popular Miffy stories. Alongside each illustration, Bruna would always create four lines of Dutch rhyming verse – however his editor at Methuen always denied it was possible to translate these lines into corresponding English verse. Bruna had grown to accept Methuen’s English versions in prose, even though he believed strongly that young children remember stories in rhyme far more easily. Then one day he happened to see an English translation of a book that a Dutch psychologist had written analysing his work. Surprised and impressed, Bruna discovered Patricia Crampton had translated his Dutch verse into perfect English meter, and thus began their long working partnership. He gave her 40 of his past books to re-translate, this time into English verse. [Ref PC/21/7/7 and published in 'In Other Words', No. 26, Winter 2005, by Catherine Fuller].
In 1991 PC translated 'Paradise in Pictograms: the Work of Dick Bruna' by Dick Bruna.
After the death of her husband in 1999, PC stopped translating, with the exception of Bruna's little square books about Miffy and friends - she had agreed to translate each of his books as he completed them, including his entire backlog. The last of the translated manuscripts is dated 2010.