R. W. Johnson

Who is R. W. Johnson?

R. W. Johnson is a British-South African journalist and historian. Born 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 twenty-six years; he remains an emeritus fellow. He was formerly Director of the Helen Suzman Foundation in Johannesburg.

He is currently a South Africa correspondent for the London Sunday Times and also writes for the London Review of Books 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 and his leg was amputated below the knee.