Elizabeth Bekker

Elizabeth Wolff-Bekker, a Dutch writer best known for her popular novels, first wrote classical poetry in the style of Alexander Pope and contributed to a periodical called Gryzzard. In 1777, upon the death of her husband, Adriaan Wolff, a minister over thirty years her senior, she took up residence with writer Aagje Deken. Wolff is credited, along with Ms. Deken, as the writer of the first Dutch novel, The History of Miss Sara Burgerhart (1782), which drew on both authors’ experiences as young women. Other novels, such as The History of William Levend (1784–85) and The History of Mss Cornelia Wildschut (1793–94), followed, although some critics contend that Wolff should be credited as the principal author of their collaborations.