Maarten 't Hart is a Dutch writer. Trained as a biologist in zoology and ethology at the Leiden University, he taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s, having made his debut as a novelist in 1971 under the name Martin Hart with Stenen voor een ransuil ("Stones for a Long-Eared Owl").
He is the author of many novels, including Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld and De kroongetuige. His books have been translated into a number of European languages, and he is especially popular in Germany. Three of his novels, Een vlucht regenwulpen (A Flight of Curlews, trans. 1986), De aansprekers (Bearers of Bad Tidings, trans. 1983), and De zonnewijzer (The Sundial, trans. 2004) have appeared in English, as have a few of his short stories.
The themes of his novels, which often have an autobiographical component, include:
the hometown of his youth, Maassluis
the strict form of the Protestantism with which he was brought up, and his rebellion against it
the love of a man for a woman
the relationship between an elderly man and a young man (e.g. a father and his son, a teacher and a student)
guilt.His writings are full of detailed descriptions of nature (e.g. the weather, insects, plants) and show his passionate love for classical music (especially the music of the composers Bach, Mozart and Schubert).
Hart is supporter of the Party for Animals, and, in 2004, agreed with the party to underline that by becoming a candidate in the European elections. However, for this he needed an official identity document, and he has no driving licence, and had neither a passport nor another identity document (he had not been abroad for 10 years), and, for reasons of principle, did not want to get one for this purpose. He is also a prominent radio and television personality, and a regular contributor to daily newspapers.
He currently lives in Warmond, close to Leiden, with his wife. His chief pastimes are music – he plays the piano and the organ – and reading. He says he reads six books a week, in Dutch, English, German, and French. He knows very little about films and rarely watches one. He does not want to be involved in films based on his books. He was, however, "rat consultant" to Werner Herzog for the film Nosferatu the Vampyre. This turned out to be a disagreeable experience about which he wrote a story, "Ongewenste zeereis", that appeared in 2004 in Granta under the title "Rats".
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Some of their strengths
Maarten ‘t Hart has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Energetic, Brave, Charming, Communicative, Optimistic, and Productive.
Adventurous and Independent
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Maarten ‘t Hart is someone who is an adventurous, independent, and energetic person, who is insightful, imaginative, generous, and honest. A person who is known for being a good partner.
Soulful and Intuitive
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Maarten ‘t Hart well know them as someone who can be graceful, romantic, and reserved, like gentle rain.
Productive and Perseverent
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Maarten ‘t Hart as someone who is productive, persevering, deliberate, and direct.
A person who is creative, has good luck with work and money, good listening skills, good relationships with people at work, is a good teacher or counselor, and who is good at organizing groups, teams, or causes.
Inquisitive and Progressive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Maarten ‘t Hart is someone who is an eternal student who is always interested in learning new things, and who has a desire to shake things up and change things.
They are also someone who is creative, expressive, and insightful, and who has a pioneering spirit with self-determination and natural artistic expression.
Optimistic and Quick-witted
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Maarten ‘t Hart tends to be someone who is optimistic and spontaneous, and who has a clear and analytical mind. Who can be witty, with a happy-go-lucky- nature that makes others cheerful, and who possesses an adventurous zest for life.
Some of Maarten ‘t Hart's challenges
While Maarten ‘t Hart has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Maarten ‘t Hart can be Stubborn, Pleasure-seeking, Impulsive, Careless, Short-tempered, Hypocritical, and Self-centered.
Impulsive and Careless
One of Maarten ‘t Hart's key challenges is that they are someone who can be impulsive and careless.
Maarten ‘t Hart must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.
Possessive and Stubborn
Maarten ‘t Hart is someone who can be possessive, jealous, inflexible, and stubborn, can have a habit of being a frivolous spender, and who can feel insecure or cynical in romantic relationships and have difficulty forming productive personal and professional partnerships.
Irritable and Callous
Finally, Maarten ‘t Hart also can be short-tempered, childish, insensitive, and careless at times.
