Lutz van Dijk

Lutz van Dijk (born 1955 in Berlin) is a German-Dutch writer, historian and educator. He initially worked as a teacher in Hamburg and later at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. As a co-founder of the HOKISA foundation, he supported disadvantaged children and young people affected by HIV/AIDS in South Africa. His books include *Verdammt starke Liebe*, *African Kids*, *Afrika – Geschichte eines bunten Kontinents* and *Die Geschichte der Juden*. His literary and social engagement received several awards, including Namibia’s Youth Literature Award in 1997, the Gustav Heinemann Peace Prize in 2001 and the Rosa Courage Prize in 2003. In 2009, he was awarded an honorary professorship in poetry by the University of Oldenburg.