Ferdinand Bordewijk (ফার্দিনান্দ বোর্দেউইক) was a Dutch writer known for his short, powerful writing style filled with symbolism. His work is linked to New Objectivity and magic realism.

Ferdinand Bordewijk won the P. C. Hooft Award in 1953 and the Constantijn Huygens Prize in 1957. His most famous novel, Character (1938), is considered a classic in the Netherlands and was later made into a film in 1997.  

Born in Amsterdam, he moved to The Hague as a child. He studied law at Leiden University and worked as a lawyer in Rotterdam and Schiedam, though he lived in The Hague all his life. He was married to composer Johanna Bordewijk-Roepman and even wrote the libretto for her opera Rotonde (1941). His first book, Paddestoelen was a poetry collection that did not receive much attention. However, he gained fame with his short novels Blokken Knorrende Beesten (1933), and Bint (1934). Blokken is a dystopian novel often compared to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, though Bordewijk himself did not like Huxley’s book. His later novels, Rood Paleis (1936) and Karakter (1938), further established his reputation.   Bordewijk’s writing is direct and filled with strong imagery, making him one of the most important Dutch writers of the 20th century.