Hugo Roberts

Writer as Customs Officer in Paramaribo

At the age of 20 he emigrated to The Netherlands were he worked as a factory worker, bookkeeper and in the mid-60's as a computer programmer for Philips and ESSO (now EXXON). That time the IBM1401 and 1410 were programmed in assembly language; later he wrote programs for the IBM360 in COBOL. In 1970 he started a computer school and service bureau "Systems 2000", which was the reason two newspapers (one in Suriname and one in Holland) printed his life story, featuring above photograph (click here to see Do you have a copy?). After living in Holland for ten years and his business failed, he moved to New York City in the United States where he lived for eighteen years and worked as a computer consultant advising companies on automating their business. Occasionally he programmed in COBOL or FORTRAN. At night he studied social work and psychology and later worked as a counselor.

Computer Consultant/Counselor in New York

When he moved back to The Netherlands he initially worked as a social worker. He completed a graduate degree and the qualifications for a registered psychologist (Gezondheidszorgpsycholoog) just a few years before he was eligible for early retirement. In preparation for retirement he seriously picked up his lifelong hobby: writing. He attended more than fifteen writing courses and workshops, such as at the Schrijversvakschool ‘t Colofon (now Schrijversschool) in Amsterdam and the correspondence courses Fiction Writing levels 1, 2, and 3 at The University of Iowa. Beatrijs Nolet, a renown Dutch writer of children’s books and teacher of writer’s workshops, was an important teacher, mentor and coach; she taught him the nitty-gritty of the craft.

Psychologist/Writer in The Netherlands

His short stories are published (in English or Dutch) in the U.K., Suriname, Nepal, The Netherlands, and the U.S.A. To see a complete list of his prose, please click: Complete list of Prose of Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer

Prose

Short stories written by him appeared in (among others) the following publications:

2007: "Highway Jaywalkers," June 24, 2007 in The Kathmandu Post/Fiction Park, Katmandu, Nepal. To read the (edited) story, please click: Kathmandu Post with Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer's "Highway Jaywalkers" (it's on the modelwatch page featuring Nepalese beauties). The original story “The Jaywalkers” has been changed by the editor to accommodate the readers in Nepal.
2006: "Bustle in the Bus" in BLINK: Flash Fiction Before You Can Bat an Eye, by Pam, Calabrese MacLean, Ladianne Mandel, Wanda, Wade Mukherjee (Editor). Wake Forest, NC: The Paper Journey Press; ISBN: 0977315649, please click: Blink with Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer's "Bustle in the Bus."
2005: "The Rookie Cop and the Thief", September 2005 in: eBook of Secret Attic (chosen as one of the best 20 out of more than 300 stories); please click: Secret Attic with Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer's "The Rookie Cop..."
2004: "Het geheim van de tafel", January 31, 2004 in: De Ware Tijd/Literair, Paramaribo, Suriname.
2003: "Langszij," in: Het Gevoel (ISBN 90-5974-029-7); for details, please click: Announcing Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer's "Langszij" a winner and: Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer in judges' report.  
2003: "Moord en doodslag in de trein", in: Openbaar vervoer, for details please click:
Openbaar vervoer with Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer's "Moord of doodslag..."
2003: "Een kerstcadeau voor de buren", in: Een andere wereld. Gedichten en verhalen, vrije boekenbonus 2003. Amsterdam: Cultureel Centrum de Badcuyp.
2002: "Een bekend gezicht", in: FUGA, verzamelde korte verhalen van Nederlandse en Belgische Auteurs. Roermond: De Vleermuis uitgeverij bv, 2002 (ISBN 90 5757 0335).
2002: "Een kwestie van vertrouwen", in: Poëzie en Proza, Vrije Boekendagen 2002, editie Rotterdam.

Literary Award and Placements                                                                    

In 2007 his short story “Gita’s Song” won him a finalist status and a “Certificate of Recognition” in the ABC Words in Action writing contest; for details please click: Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer: ABC Words in Action

The short story "Rise en Shine in de jungle" won him an honorable mention (“Bijzondere Vermelding”) in the annual Kwakoe Literatuurprijs 2005; for details please click: Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer: Honorable Mention.

With the short story ""Het geheim van de tafel/The secret of the table" he won the first price in the annual Kwakoe Literatuurprijs 2003; for details please click: News Kwakoe first prize award to Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer.
He is listed in Literary Prizes Netherlands of the Museum of Literature (Literaire prijzen Nederland van het Letterkundig Museum); for details please click: Hugo Roberts writer, editor, & web designer in Literary Prizes Netherlands. Or you can visit their site; please click: http://www.literaireprijzen.nl  Look up by author: fill in the author’s name (Roberts) in the space labeled "zoek" and click "zoek". You can also look up by prize: roll down, select Kwakoe Literatuurprijs, and click "kies".