From the very beginning, translation has played a decisive role in the life of Gerard Kruisman (pseudonym Gerard Cruys). As a child, he had to be able to switch between the West Frisian dialect spoken in his native village of Wervershoof and Standard Dutch. His love of language motivated him to study Slavic Languages and Literary Studies, and the love of a woman brought him to Denmark, where he has lived and worked since the 1970s. His translation oeuvre comprises more than 70 titles from Danish, Russian, Norwegian, and Dutch and reflects his life. Life and work flow together, or as he himself puts it: ‘Literature can help you understand life.’
It is thanks to his great dedication that the books of exceptional authors such as the Dane Jens Christian Grøndahl and the Russian Mikhail Shishkin have been able to reach and enrich Dutch readers.