Writer and cabaret performer Paulien Cornelisse dies at age 50

Celebrated writer and cabaret performer Paulien Cornelisse passed away at the age of 50 from cancer. The prolific author, known for her popular books on the Dutch language, also served as a jury chair on the hit TV quiz show De Slimste Mens. Her works include Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding, which sold over 700,000 copies, and several absurdist novels featuring a guinea pig in an office setting.

Cornelisse began her career as a cabaret performer before transitioning to writing. She authored a weekly language column for the NRC and the Volkskrant since 2018. Her co-host on De Slimste Mens, Herman van der Zandt, expressed his deep sadness over her loss, praising her sweetness, humor, and energy. The city of Amsterdam, where she was born and raised, mourned her passing, with Mayor Femke Halsema praising her love for the small, everyday, absurd, and theatrical aspects of life.