Abstract
In the 1940s it was virtually impossible for female authors like Anna van Gogh-Kaulbach and Nine van der Schaaf to make ends meet from the proceeds of their literary work only. They sorely needed the support of beneficiaries and literary support funds, and they did not apply to these in vain. Research into the financial accounts of the funds show that women were supported more often and with larger sums than their male collegues were. They owed this advantage to their modest and undemanding attitude; moreover, they benefited from a remarkable mildness on the part of the governors of these funds regarding the women's choice for full-time authorship. Whereas a male author wishing to live by his pen alone could not expect to meet with a great deal of understanding, the governors seem to have considered it self-evident that women would not look for jobs outside the home. Women were not expected to earn a living, and any financial problems caused by their social inactivity were liberally amended by the funds. It was such support which enabled women to establish themselves as writers, not depending on the market forces while enjoying som protection against financial misery.
