 His first volume, "De Lenige Liefde", appeared in 1969, becoming the best-selling volume of 20th-century Flemish poetry and winning literary prizes such as the "Yang-prijs" (1969) and the "Prijs van de Provincie Antwerpen" (1971).The collection has a relativating tone, and not seldom the poems have an ironic undertone.The death of de Coninck's first wife, An Somers, in a car accident in 1971 began a difficult period in his life.