Rob Lacey, 43, father, actor and award-winning Christian author, lost his courageous battle with cancer this week on Monday 1st May. He is survived by his wife, Sandra Harnisch-Lacey, and his two young children, Lukas and Magdalena.
Lacey is best known for ‘the word on the street’ (originally published as the street bible), which sought to retell the entire Bible in modern British street English which was honoured with the Book of the Year award in 2004 by the Christian Booksellers Convention in the U.K.Additionally, Borders Bookshops named the word on the street in its 2004 list of best books in Religion and Spirituality. During the writing of the book in 2000, Rob was diagnosed a second time with advanced bladder cancer. He wrote the paraphrase of the book of Job for the word on the street while in the midst of agonising cancer treatments. Miraculously, in 2002, his cancer went into remission but unfortunately resurfaced late last year.
“Rob’s innovative approach and contagious energy, both through his books and his performance art, engaged a new generation, providing a fresh experience with God’s Word,” said Doug Lockhart, Zondervan president and CEO. “We are saddened at the loss of our dear friend and colleague but honoured to have been a part of Rob’s legacy, which has touched so many lives.”
Rob brought his innovative storytelling and performance art to the Christian Booksellers Convention in 2005 and to more than 200,000 people during his tour that same year. After taking a university degree in economics, Lacey trained at the Desmond Jones School of Mime and Physical Theater and was a founding member of the Trapdoor Theatre Company. Along with his wife, Sandra, he founded The Lacey Theatre Company and was one of the artistic directors of The Gate Arts and Training Centre in Cardiff, Wales.
In addition to the word on the street, Lacey is the author of the just-released ‘the liberator’, a paraphrase of the Gospels, as well as The Poisoned Pool, a self-published graphic novel, and ‘Are We Getting Through’, a communication resource book.
