Dr. Wilbert Smulders is associate professor of Modern Dutch Literature at the University of Utrecht. His research is focused on modern and contemporary Dutch authors like Bordewijk, Van Schendel, Vestdijk, Hermans and Van der Heijden. He is the author of De literaire misleiding in 'De donkere kamer van Damocles' (HES, 1983). The literary delusion in [Willem Frederik Hermans'] De donkere kamer van Damocles. (Utrecht, 1983).

He also was the editor and co-author of three volumes essays about the meaning an literary historic position of Willem Frederik Hermans: Verboden Toegang. Essays over het werk van Willem Frederik Hermans (Amsterdam, 1989l; (in collaboration with Frans Ruiter:) De literaire magnet. Essays over Willem Frederik Hermans en de moderne tijd (Amsterdam, 1995); and (in collaboration with Raymond Benders:) Apollo in Brasserie Lipp. Bespiegelingen over Willem Frederik Hermans (Amsterdam, 2001). He is member of the board of the Scientific Council of the 'Willem Frederik Hermans Instituut' in The Hague. In collaboration with Frans Ruiter he wrote a study about the connection between the modern Dutch literature and modernity: Frans Ruiter en Wilbert Smulders, Literatuur en moderniteit in Nederland 1840-1990. (Amsterdam, 1996)