Dark Realism

Dark Realism or Duisterism is a term to define a Brunanter literary movement, which flourshed during the second half of the 20th-century. The writers of dark realism focused on tenebrous and often macabre subjects, including death, madness and torture. On the same time, all books of this kind comprize black humour and sometimes caustic humour. The two most important figures of dark realism are Henry Winston Cavell and Hannah Jacobson.

Etymology
Both terms were coined by the literary scholar and Grijzestad University professor Alfred Beullens in 1971. Duisterism derives from the Dutch word "duister" (dark, obscure), obviously due to the topics of the books.

Influences and history
Although the movement itself is clearly Brunanter, the writers of duisterism hade been influenced by various other movements and writers, sometimes mutual. Hence, most of them acknowledge magic realism and dark romanticism as significant influences, while Hannah Jacobson has stated that "Fedde Laninga has inspired me a lot as a young writer". "Works like Dracula and Poe's short stories have definitely influenced me", admitted Henry Cavell in 1982. Jacobson and Cavell in particular have been stylistically influenced by modernism.

Major authors

 * Henry Winston Cavell
 * Johan Dries
 * Hannah Jacobson
 * Maarten Klein
 * Angus Sanford

Major works

 * The Mortician