Simon de Waal is a Dutch writer. He has specialized in television and film scripts, he won the Golden Calf in 2000, for best screenplay for the film Leak.Leak also won best film, best director and best actor, and several international awards, making it one of the most successful Dutch films. Several of the series he wrote, were either nominated or awarded with prizes for best television series in the Netherlands, for instance Unit 13, Bureau Kruislaan and Baantjer. Baantjer won the 'Golden Televizier Ring' for best series, after being nominated for it twice. His book Cop vs Killer was nominated for best thriller in 2005, in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium. He still works - part-time, due to his success as a writer - as a homicide detective in Amsterdam, since 1986. At the age of 18, in 1979, he started working as a police officer in Amsterdam. He has contributed to almost every police-series in the Netherlands. In 2005, he collaborated with Lynda La Plante, creator of Prime Suspect and The Commander, and co-wrote a 2x90 minutes episode for The Commander called "Blacklight". His thriller called Pentito, was published November 2007. 

January 1st, 1961 in Amsterdam (Age 63)