R. W. Johnson

R. W. Johnson (born 1943) is a British journalist, political scientist, and historian who lives in South Africa. 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, 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 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 and also written 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 above the knee.