Jaco Jacobs: The Prolific South African Children’s Author
Bio: Jaco Jacobs
Jaco Jacobs, born in 1980 in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, is a renowned South African children’s author who writes primarily in Afrikaans. His love for storytelling began at a young age, and he sold his first short stories to magazines while still in high school. Over the course of his career, Jacobs has published more than 260 books for children, ranging from picture books to young adult novels, and he has also written under the pseudonyms Lize Roux and Tania Brink.
One of Jacobs’ most celebrated works is his young adult novel Suurlemoen! (Lemon!), which was selected as an International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour Book in 2007. His success didn’t stop there, as he went on to receive numerous prestigious awards. These include the Alba Bouwer Prize, which he won twice—first in 2007 for Wurms met tamatiesous en ander lawwe rympies (Worms in Tomato Sauce and Other Silly Poems) and again in 2019 for Moenie hierdie boek eet nie (Don’t Eat This Book). He was also honored with the C.P. Hoogenhout Award for Wurms met tamatiesous and the Tienie Holloway Medal in 2018 for Grom! (Growl!). In 2019, Jacobs was awarded the Scheepers Prize for Youth Literature for Dinge wat ek nie van skape geweet het nie (Taking Selfies With a Sheep).
Jacobs’ works have found success beyond the printed page. His novel Suurlemoen! was adapted into a film and released in South African cinemas in 2014. In 2017, his book Oor ‘n motorfiets, ‘n zombiefliek en lang getalle wat deur elf gedeel kan word (A Good Night for Shooting Zombies) was turned into the feature film Nul is nie niks nie. Additionally, his young adult novel ‘n Goeie dag vir boomklim (A Good Day for Climbing Trees) was one of the winners in the In Other Words competition, sponsored by the British Book Trust. It was published internationally by Oneworld Publications and was longlisted for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. The book has since been translated into Dutch and Italian, further expanding its reach to a global audience.
In addition to his work as an author, Jacobs is a prolific translator, having translated more than 300 books from English and Dutch into Afrikaans. His translation of Chris Riddell’s Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (Willemien en die Geel Kat) earned him the Elsabe Steenberg Prize for children’s book translation, as well as the SATI Prize for excellence in translation.
Jacobs is widely regarded as the most popular and prolific Afrikaans children’s book author, with over a million copies of his books sold. His writing career took off when he participated in school competitions for aspiring writers, and his first children’s book, Pretpark, was written while he was still in school.
Though most of his works are published in Afrikaans, Jacobs has enjoyed international success with his books A Good Day for Climbing Trees and A Good Night for Shooting Zombies, both of which have been translated into multiple languages, including Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and Slovenian. Both novels were also nominated for the Carnegie Medal, one of the highest honors in children’s literature.
Jaco Jacobs currently lives in Bloemfontein, South Africa, with his wife, Elize, their two daughters, Mia and Emma, three dogs, a cat, and a pet python. Known for his storytelling ability and emotional depth, his book A Good Night for Shooting Zombies is praised for its compact, briskly told adventure and the rich emotional layers that resonate with readers of all ages.