Simon Vestdijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsimɔn ˈvɛzdɛi̯k]; October 17, 1898 – March 23, 1971) was a Dutch writer.Born in the small town of Harlingen, Vestdijk studied medicine in Amsterdam, but turned to literature after a few years as a doctor. He became one of the most important 20th-century writers in the Netherlands. His prolificness as a novelist was legendary, but he was at least as important as an essayist on e.g., literature, art, music and religion.