JANE LABOUS
BIO

Jane attended an Essex comp before reading English & French at Jesus College, Oxford. Over nearly two decades she has gained a reputation for powerful writing and storytelling, focusing on the most compelling human stories,
As a freelance journalist, Jane has spent many years living and reporting out of Dakar, Senegal, for the BBC, VOA, the UN and many more, while developing her creative art as a writer, filmmaker and novelist. She's worked with women and young people all over West Africa to tell their stories via features, film and radio, and has deep family connections in Ngor, Dakar.
Jane's indie documentary project, Angels, filmed in Dakar, won Best Documentary at Southampton Film Festival. The story of two Senegalese women's heartbreaking fight to have a baby against the odds has played a role in breaking down stigma about infertility in Senegal.
Jane now works for a global aid agency providing humanitarian and educational support to children in the Global South and conflict zones. She works alongside colleagues in West Africa to tell the human stories of our time, while empowering young people to tell their own.
Jane also writes fiction. Her debut novel, The Chameleon Girl, is published by Farafina Books, and available on Amazon. Jane's second book is a thriller, and her third, an upmarket bookclub novel.
Training
Hostile Environments & Emergency First Aid
International Location Safety
photo credit: Doriana Re
Hostile Environments & Emergency First Aid
Centurion
Child Protection In Emergencies
Plan International
MA Hons in English and Modern Languages (French)
Jesus College, University of Oxford
Demo
Awards
“Merck More than a Mother” ‘Media Recognition & Film Award 2019 in ‘Film Category’ for French-Speaking African Countries, for Angels
2020
Fiction Factory First Chapter Competition, longlist
2021
European Journalism Centre Development Reporting Grant
E19,000, 2018
BBC Radio 4 & Royal Geographical Society Documentary Award
2011
Guardian Development Journalism Prize Winner
2009
St Lucia Travel Awards, Travel Writer of The Year
2007
Cinderellas long-listed for One World Media Award
2016
You Are Not Alone (2019) toured the film festival circuit between 2019 and 2021
2019 - 2021








Member of The Society of Authors
2022