Jef Aerts

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

Jef Aerts

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 four Zilveren Griffel awards: for Bigger than a Dream, Fish don’t melt, The Blue Wings and Robber's Cub (illustrated by Martijn van der Linden).^[4][5]

Aerts’ children’s and youth books have been translated and sold in more than 18 languages,^[6] including English, German, Swedish, Chinese, Korean, Russian and Persian.^[7] His work is nominated for the international Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026.^[8]

Jef Aerts lives and writes in a small farm close to Leuven.^[9]

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)
• Every Day Someone Else (Elke dag iemand anders, 2020)
• Ronke's Night (De nacht van Ronke, 2021)
• Robber's Cub (Roversjong, 2024)

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
• 2024: Finalist Premio Strega Ragazze e Raggazi, Groter dan een droom
• 2025: Zilveren Griffel, Roversjong
• Nomination Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award 2026