Elisabeth de Roos. Photo: Studio Wagram, Brussel
Elisabeth (Bep) Geertruida de Roos, also known by the name Elisabeth du Perron or Elisabeth du Perron-de Roos, translated a relatively small number of important novels written in French and English in the series De Onsterfelijken (publisher: Contact Amsterdam). In addition, De Roos was known for being an essay writer, critic and literary journalist and from 1965 until the beginning of the 1970s, she taught English to Dutch translation at the Instituut voor Vertaalkunde. She was often mentioned in the same breath as her well-known husband Charles Edgar du Perron (1899-1940), author of works including the autobiographical novel Het land van herkomst (Country of Origin) (1935), in which Elisabeth was portrayed by the character Jane. She was a highly multifaceted, very well-read intellectual who, in the interwar period and after the Second World War, was one of the most influential voices and key figures in the literary circles surrounding Charles Edgar du Perron, Hendrik Marsman (1899-1940), Simon Vestdijk (1898-1971) and Menno ter Braak (1902-1940).