Georges EekhoundGeorges Eekhoud (1854-1927) was a Belgian novelist. Born into a Flemish family in Antwerp, Eekhoud was orphaned at a young age. With his grandmother's financial help, he self-published two volumes of poetry before joining some of the era's proinent avant-garde movements, including Les XX and La Jeune Belgique. His career as a novelist began in 1883 with Kees Doorik, a gritty realist tale of the life of a young farmer-turned-murderer. His novel Escal-Vigor (1899) was quickly recognized as a pioneering work of fiction for its portrayal of homosexuality, earning Eeekhoud praise from such critics as Rachilde and Eugène Demolder while exposing him to a lawsuit for obscenity. Eventually acquitted, Eekhoud continued to write and publish stories, novels, and poems throughout the remainder of his life, often focusing on homosexuality and pacificism. Read More Read Less