Literair Kwartier. De radio as spegel en megafoan fan ’e Fryske literatuer tusken 1945 en 1975

Abstract

This contribution entails an extensive analysis of the Northern Dutch literary radio program Literair Kwartier (Literary Quarter). After Dutch national radio had already broadcasted literary programs from the early 1940s onward, the three Northern Dutch provinces (Fryslân, Groningen and Drenthe) were to follow as soon as they acquired a regional broadcasting station of their own in 1945, called RON or RONO. The emphasis on culture characterizing policy-making in postwar Dutch politics in general proved favorable to literature. In a great many book reviews and talks on literature Literair Kwartier acquainted literary critics and writers from the region to the broader listening audience. Since the program largely discussed Frisian literature, it makes for a remarkable insight into the issues, reception and evolution of this minority literature in the decades shortly after the Second World War. Yet, not in the least through the inclusion of book reviews of renowned national and international authors, Literair Kwartier also guided its listeners towards a proper high-brow literary taste. Literair Kwartier, the authors conclude, can best be seen not only as complementary to the written criticism of the period but also as an amplifier of the literary taste in the region in general.