Jef Aerts

Jef Aerts

Jef Aerts (born 26 May 1972) is a Belgian writer of children’s and youth literature.

Life and career

After publishing four novels, poetry and theater,[1] Jef Aerts has been writing for young readers since 2012.[2]

For the picture book Bigger than a Dream he worked with the Swedish-Dutch illustrator Marit Törnqvist. In 2014 this book was awarded the Book Lion (Boekenleeuw, prize for the best Dutch-language children's book.[3]

Jef Aerts received three Zilveren Griffel awards: for Bigger than a Dream, Fish don’t melt and The Blue Wings (illustrated by Martijn van der Linden).[4][5]

Aerts’ children’s and youth books have been translated and sold in 15 languages,[6] including English, German, Swedish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Persian.[7]

Jef Aerts lives and writes in a small farm close to Leuven.[8]

Works (selection)

• The Little Paradise (Het kleine paradijs, 2012)
• Bigger than a Dream (Groter dan een droom, 2013)
• Fish don’t Melt (Vissen smelten niet, 2013)
• Horse in Boots (Paard met laarzen, 2015)
• Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes (Kersenhemel, 2017)
• The Blue Wings (De blauwe vleugels, 2018)
• Ronke's Night (De nacht van Ronke, 2021)

Awards and nominations (selection)

• 2014: Zilveren griffel, Groter dan een droom
• 2014: White Raven, Groter dan een droom
• 2014: Boekenleeuw, Groter dan een droom
• 2014: Zilveren Griffel, Vissen smelten niet
• 2018: Vlag en Wimpel, Kersenhemel
• 2019: Zilveren Griffel, De blauwe vleugels
• 2020: Laureate IBBY Honour List, De blauwe vleugels

References

1. [1] (in Dutch). De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
2. “Overtuigend jeugddebuut van Jef Aerts”. De Morgen (in Dutch, Belgian newspaper). 29 September 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
3. “Jef Aerts wint Boekenleeuw” . De Standaard (in Dutch, Belgian newspaper). 30 March 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
4. “Negen kinderboeken onderscheiden met Zilveren Griffels”. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch, newspaper). 26 June 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
5. “Twee broers in het spoor van een kraanvogeljong”. NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch, newspaper). 12 July 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
6. [2]. Translation Database Dutch Foundation for Literature. Search author “Jef Aerts”. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
7. [3] . Flanders Literature. Search books & authors “Jef Aerts”. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
8. "De ruimte en rust vind ik hier fantastisch". De Morgen (in Dutch, Belgian newspaper). 29 juni 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2020.

External links

• Official website
• Jef Aerts · dbnl (in Dutch), Digital Library for Dutch Literature
• Jef Aerts (in English), Flanders Literature