Bio
Leon van Nierop (born 1953) is a South African writer, journalist, presenter, actor and film critic best known for creating and writing numerous radio and television series including Ballade vir 'n Enkeling, Stralejakkers and Ratels.
He has been writing for the magazine DEKAT since the magazine's launch in 1985 and presents a well-known critique called Leon at the Movies.
He has lectured on film criticism for years throughout the country and headed the TUT film school in Pretoria for four years. He has also written two books on film analysis, the most recent being Movies Made Easy published by van Schaiks.
He has also served as judge for several short film and film competitions, is part of the SAFTA jury awarding Golden Horns to the best local film talent, and writes extensively on film for several publications.
He was also a presenter, scriptwriter, voice-over artist and co-producer for DEKAT on SABC3, in 2009.
He has written dozens of novels and several television series and radio dramas and is also a newsreader and continuity presenter for RSG on SABC radio and serves as their major film critic.
He played a news reader in the Jan Scholtz thriller series Arsenaal, in 2002.
Van Nierop completed his schooling at Brakpan, after which he went to Stellenbosch University to study Languages and Drama (BA). In 1975 he began working as announcer/director at the SABC.
He wrote several hit radio stories, including nearly 9,000 episodes of Wolwedans in die Skemer, Herberg vir 'n Vlugteling, Die Huis in Hertestraaten and Stralerjakkers.
His scripts include Ballade vir 'n Enkeling I and II, Wolwedans in die Skemer, Huisjakker, Moord op die Lug and adaptations for TV: Het van Verlangekraal, Die Hartseerwals, Laat Vrugte, Die Sondaar en Uitdraai, and Jantjie.
He has directed Skoolplaasstoriesgedoen and was a scriptwriter for the first two years of the M-Net soapie Egoli. He also wrote the most texts for the SABC2 soapie Glaskasteel, which also broadcast on BBC2.
As a freelance journalist he writes columns, magazine articles, movie reviews and travel stories.