Renate Maria Dorrestein (1954–2018) was a prominent Dutch writer, journalist, and feminist. She began her career as a junior journalist for magazines such as Libelle and Panorama before establishing herself as a novelist in the 1980s. Her literary work is noted for its bold exploration of gender roles, motherhood, mental health, and social issues, often drawing inspiration from the gothic novel. Dorrestein was highly acclaimed, winning the Annie Romein prize in 1993 for her body of work. She was also a public intellectual who engaged with themes of censorship and human rights, notably corresponding with Chinese dissident writers.[1]
