R. W. Johnson (born 1943) is a British

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

political scientist Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

, and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

who lives in South Africa. Born Richard "Bill" William in England, he was educated at Natal University and

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

, as a

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

. He was a

fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

in politics at Magdalen College,

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, for 26 years,Ivan Fallo
"'South Africa's Brave New World', By R. W. Johnson"
''The Independent'', 17 April 2009 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. In reviewing his memoirs, ''

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

'' described Johnson as a "romantic contrarian liberal". On his return to South Africa in 1995, Johnson became director of the Helen Suzman Foundation in Johannesburg until 2001. He has been a South Africa correspondent for the London ''

Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' and also written for the ''

London Review of Books The ''London Review of Books'' (''LRB'') is a British literary magazine published bimonthly that features articles and essays on fiction and non-fiction subjects, which are usually structured as book reviews. History The ''London Review of Book ...

'' His articles for the ''LRB'' generally cover

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n and to a lesser extent

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

an affairs. In early March 2009, Johnson injured his left foot while swimming. It became infected with

necrotizing fasciitis Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, is an infection that kills the body's soft tissue. It is a serious disease that begins and spreads quickly. Symptoms include red or purple or black skin, swelling, severe pain, fever ...

, and his leg was amputated above the knee."RW Johnson Loses Part of Leg After Lagoon Swim"
''Book SA - News'', 23 March 2009

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, R. W. 1943 births Living people South African non-fiction writers University of Natal alumni South African Rhodes Scholars South African political scientists Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford British emigrants to South Africa South African amputees British scientists with disabilities