Antonia Johanna (Tonke) Dragt was born on November 12, 1930 in Batavia, the capital of the former Dutch East Indies. Batavia is now called Jakarta, and is the capital of Indonesia. Tonke's father worked there for the Dutch government. Tonke is the oldest; she has two younger sisters, Corlien and Ada.

When the Japanese occupied the former Dutch East Indies, Tonke's father was made a prisoner of war. In 1942 Tonke and her mother and sisters came in a Japanese prisoners camp called Tjideng, near Batavia.

Because she had nothing to do there, Tonke started to make up stories, which she told to her friends and her sisters. With her friend Tineke Straub she made a little book. Tineke wrote, Tonke made the drawings. They had to beg for the paper, and even used toilet paper. The book was called: De jacht op de Touwkleurige [The hunt for the Rope-coloured]. They finished it after the War. The girls used Tito Drastra as their pen name.

After the War the Dragt family was reunited. In 1946 Tonke and her mother and sisters went to the Netherlands. For Tonke and her sisters, this was a cold and unknown land where they didn't feel welcome. They were able to spend some more time in the East Indies, but not for long: in 1948 the family went back to stay in the Netherlands.

Tonke's sister Ada started the Juniorbibliotheek [Junior library], from the Publishing Company 'The Junior'. Those who wanted to become member of the library first had to write a book theirselves. Tonke wrote for the library, together with her sister Corlien. The library continued to grow until the beginning of the fifties. Titles from the Junior library include: Anastasia! and In Bainoe staat een kruis [In Bainoe stands a cross].

After finishing the H.B.S. [former High School for the 12-18 year age group] in Dordrecht, Tonke went to the Academy of Fine Arts in the Hague. In 1955 she majored in drawing. She then started teaching. First on a primary school, later on a secondary school in Rijswijk.

Besides teaching, she sometimes told stories in the classroom: when it became too noisy, when she couldn't keep order. This way she started writing. In 1958 she made her debut in the magazine Kris Kras. When she found her stories were successful, she dared to talk to the writer Miep Diekmann. Miep Diekmann introduced her to the publisher Leopold. Tonke's first book appeared in 1961.

At this time, Tonke Dragt lives in the Hague, in a house full of doll's houses and boxes with pieces for collages and ideas for books she has yet to write.

[This information is extracted from a number of publications which are mentioned on the page about Tonke Dragt.]

Laatste wijziging:
23 december 2011