R. W. Johnson (born 1943) is a British journalist, political scientist, and historian who lives in South Africa.[1] Born Richard "Bill" William in England, he was educated at Natal University and Oxford University, as a Rhodes Scholar. He was a fellow in politics at Magdalen College, Oxford, for 26 years,[2] and remains an emeritus fellow. His 2015 book Look Back in Laughter: Oxford's Postwar Golden Age is a memoir of his years at Magdalen, including his work with college president Keith Griffin to rescue the college's finances and buildings.[3] In reviewing his memoirs, The Economist described Johnson as a "romantic contrarian liberal".[4]
On his return to South Africa in 1995, Johnson became director of the Helen Suzman Foundation in Johannesburg until 2001.[5] He has been a South Africa correspondent for the London Sunday Times and also written for the London Review of Books[6] His articles for the LRB generally cover South African and to a lesser extent Zimbabwean affairs. In early March 2009, Johnson injured his left foot while swimming. It became infected with necrotizing fasciitis,[7] and his leg was amputated above the knee.[8]
Bibliography
(ed. with Christopher Allen) African Perspectives (1970)
How Long Will South Africa Survive? (1977)
The Long March of the French Left (1981)
Shootdown: The Verdict on KAL 007 (1985)
Heroes and Villains: Selected Essays (1990)
(ed. with Lawrence Schlemmer) Launching Democracy in South Africa: South Africa's First Open Election, April 1994 (1996)
(ed. with David Welsh) Ironic Victory: Liberalism in Post-Liberation South Africa (1998)
South Africa; The First Man, the Last Nation (2004)
South Africa's Brave New World: The Beloved Country since the End of Apartheid (2009)
How Long Will South Africa Survive?: The Looming Crisis (2015)
Look Back in Laughter: Oxford's Postwar Golden Age (2015)
Foreign Native: An African Journey (2020)
References
^The Guardian contributor profile.
^Ivan Fallon "'South Africa's Brave New World', By R. W. Johnson", The Independent, 17 April 2009
^R W Johnson: Look Back in Laughter: Oxford's Postwar Golden Age, Threshold Press (2015).
^"Romantic contrarian". The Economist. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
^Orion Archived 2009-01-06 at the Wayback Machine author profile.
^London Review of Books contributor page.
^R. W. Johnson "Diary", London Review of Books, 6 August 2009, p41
^"RW Johnson Loses Part of Leg After Lagoon Swim", Book SA - News, 23 March 2009
