{
  "id": 12820558,
  "title": "Gen Z author beats illness to publish two books by 26",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/gen-z-author-beats-illness-to-publish-two-books-by-26",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-08T07:24:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/lifestyle/genz-author-beats-illness-and-publishes-by-26/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At the young age of 26, self-published author Jordin Lea Andrews-Jones has already released two books. Born in Kempton Park, South Africa, Andrews-Jones taught herself the intricacies of the publishing industry and managed to secure worldwide distribution for her work. Her upcoming third book is slated for release in November. Her works consist of a non-fiction title, Letting Go, and a psychological thriller, Life Without Fantasies. Her next project is a romantic comedy novel. The author's publishing career took off after she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the age of 18, following a string of health struggles starting from the age of 12. She underwent 15 surgeries in an attempt to treat her complex regional pain syndrome, an invisible disability and chronic pain condition for which there is no known cure. Andrews-Jones, who has grown up with a single mother and was homeschooled, says that her illnesses significantly impacted her life, leading to depression and forcing her to give up on a conventional job. In the aftermath of losing her grandfather and her dog, she found solace in writing, creating \"Letting Go,\" which explored her grief and the emotional struggles she faced. The author does not want her illnesses to define her life, stating that her work is driven by human emotion and she wants to explore various genres.",
  "summary": "R6.1m debt haunts Dudu Myeni's estate| New refugee centre directive sparks fresh concerns| US ambassador to SA on thin ice as pressure mounts| Nomvula Mokonyane under fire",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}