Hélène `` Hella '' Serafia Haasse ( 2 February 1918 -- 29 September 2011 ) was a Dutch writer , often referred to as `` the Grand Old Lady '' of Dutch literature , and whose novel `` Oeroeg '' ( 1948 ) was a staple for generations of Dutch schoolchildren .
Hélène `` Hella '' Serafia Haasse ( 2 February 1918 -- 29 September 2011 ) was a Dutch writer . She was often called `` the Grand Old Lady '' of Dutch literature .