- On 27 August 1935, he married Gabriëlle Baelemans, but they separated soon thereafter, although a divorce would not take place until 1976 due to the resistance of Gabriëlle. On 26 April 1976 he married Maria Eliza Antonia de Raeymaekers.
- Maurice Gilliams always wrote autobiographical, generally concerning his failed marriage and his lost youth.
- His breakthrough as writer came with his autobiographical novel Elias of het gevecht met de nachtegalen (E: Elias or the fighting with the nightingales) at the age of 35.
- He was the son of printer Frans Gilliams, and he learned to be a typographer.
- Giliams was a Flemish writer and poet.
- After his death the Maurice Gilliamsprijs was established.
- In the garden of the Elzenveld in Antwerp stands a statue of him by Rik Poot.
- In 1947, he became a member of the Koninklijke Academie voor Nederlandse Taal- en Letterkunde of which he became director in 1954.
- He worked for the company of his father and he lectured on typography at the Vakschool voor Kunstambachten of Roger Avermaete in Antwerp.
- In 1969 he received the "Constantijn Huygensprijs" for his entire oeuvre.
- He received in 1972 the "Driejaarlijkse Staatsprijs" for his career as a writer.
- He was awarded in 1980 with the "Prijs der Nederlandse Letteren" ( the most prestigious literary award in the Dutch-speaking world).
- From 1960 until 1975, he was secretary of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde in Ghent.
- In September 1955, he started working as scientific librarian of the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp.
- He became Doctor honoris causa at the University of Ghent in 1980.
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