Hilda van Stockum

Who was Hilda van Stockum?

Hilda Gerarda van Stockum was a children's book author and artist. She was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Her father was an officer in the Dutch Royal Navy. She grew up in the Netherlands and Ireland, living for many years in the United States, and lived in England from about 1973. Her books are characterised by their vivid and realistic depictions of family life, some of it being autobiographical.

The Winged Watchman is her best-known book. It is a true story of how traditional windmills were used by the Dutch resistance for signaling under the noses of German occupiers. Two Dutch boys play a heroic role, carrying a warning message to the first windmill. The signal is then sent rapidly across the countryside by altering the position of the arms of the windmills. The book is based on letters Hilda received from relatives in the Netherlands, and has been praised for conveying an accurate sense of life under Nazi occupation. This book and several of her other titles are currently in print.

The emphasis is on realism in her painting and drawing as well, which consist mainly of still lifes, landscapes and portraits. She has achieved a degree of fame in this regard in Ireland, and was elected to the Honorary Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy in 1983.