Marjorie Hope van Heerden (born October 8, 1949) is a South African writer and illustrator of children’s books. Since the publication of her first children’s picture book in 1983, van Heerden has been published as an illustrator or writer/illustrator in 33 languages in Africa, Britain, Europe, Asia, Canada and the USA.
Biography
Born in De Doorns to Alex and Marina van Niekerk (née Botha), Marjorie grew up on a table grapes farm outside De Doorns in the Hex River Valley near Cape Town in South Africa. She matriculated from Rustenburg School for Girls in Cape Town in 1967, studied Fine Art for one year at Stellenbosch University, and then went to the Michaelis School of Fine Art at the University of Cape Town for three years.
In 1973, she married Johann van Heerden and they had two children. In 2003, van Heerden started the South African chapter of the international Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), based in Los Angeles. In 2000, she and a friend also started the SCBWI chapter in Greece. She is currently the co-regional advisor of the South African chapter.
Awards and honors
Marjorie van Heerden won the 2011 W.B. Mkhize Award, given annually by the Usiba Writers’ Guild, for the Zulu version of Lulama’s long way home (Uhambo LukaLulama Olude), a picture book she wrote and illustrated, published by Giraffe Books. An imprint of Pan MacMillan.
In 2012, Marjorie and author Alex D’Angelo won the M.E.R. Award (one of the Media24 Books Literary Awards) for the best-illustrated children’s book published in South Africa. In 2011, they won for Goblin Diaries: Apprenticed to the Red Witch, published by Tafelberg Publishers (SA).
This was the second time she has been awarded this prestigious award - the first time was in 2008 when she won it with author Wendy Hartmann for Nina and Little Duck, published in 2007 by Human & Rousseau (SA).
Children's books
As writer and illustrator
Lulama’s Long Way Home, 2007 (also published in Portuguese and all 11 South African official languages); The Authentic, Unusual, Alarming, Actual, Factual, Story Book (published in Afrikaans as Die Oorspronklike, Ongewoon Skrikaanjaende, Werklik Feitlike Storieboek), 2006; The Adventures of Phepa and Itumelang, 2006; Monde’s Present reworked second edition, 2005 (published in all 11 South African official languages); Monde’s Present (based on the original story by Alexia van Heerden), 1997; Lana’s long way home (published in Afrikaans as Lana se ompad huistoe), 1993; A new bed for Alexia (published in Afrikaans as ‘n Nuwe bed vir Alexia), 1992; Goodnight, Grandpa (published in Afrikaans as Nag Oupa), 1990; Looking for a friend (published in Afrikaans as ‘n Maat vir Mayedwa), 1988; A Monster in the garden, (a Peanutbutter story, published in Afrikaans as ‘n Monster in die tuin - ‘n Korrelkonfyt-storie), 1987; Old enough, (a Peanutbutter story, published in Afrikaans as Oud genoeg - ‘n Korrelkonfyt-storie), 1987; Father Christmas needs help (a Peanutbutter story, published in Afrikaans as Kersvader het hulp nodig - ‘n Korrelkonfyt-storie, 1987; A tiger took me to the circus (published in Afrikaans as Sirkus toe saam met ‘n tier), 1986; Die een groot bruin beer (Afrikaans), 1984.
