Publishers · South Africa

Ravan Press

Defunct

Founded in 1972 by Peter Randall and the theologians Beyers Naudé and Danie van Zyl — its name joins the initials of Randall, van Zyl and Naudé — to publish the reports of the Study Project on Christianity in Apartheid Society (SPRO-CAS). By 1974 it was a full publishing house specialising in anti-apartheid literature, funded mainly by international donors. It published many black writers and the literary magazine Staffrider (1978–1993), and Randall was banned by the state. It was anti-apartheid rather than Marxist, but central to the South African left's publishing. In 1994 it sold a majority stake to Hodder & Stoughton Educational Southern Africa, and by 1999 it had been fully acquired, ending its life as an independent house; Hodder's South African business later became part of Macmillan South Africa.

Years

1972–1999

Location

Johannesburg, South Africa

Name history

1972–1994 Ravan Press
1994–1999 Ravan Press (majority-owned by Hodder & Stoughton) — Fully acquired by 1999

Languages

English

Authority records

Wikidata

Sources

Wikipedia — Ravan Press; The Conversation — Peter Randall and Ravan Press

Backlist

Titles of Ravan Press by year: 519 dated titles, 1973–1999, most in 1985 (34); 7 undated. Lines mark founded 1972 and closed 1999.

The figures by decade

Decade	Titles
1970s	86
1980s	256
1990s	177

Year	Title	Author(s)	Language
1973	A Taste of Power✓ — The Final Co-ordinated Spro-Cas Report Spro-Cas Publication; 11	Peter Randall	English
1973	Black Nationalism in South Africa✓ — A Short History SPRO-CAS Publications	Peter Walshe	English
1973	Management Responsibility and African Employment in South Africa✓ — Report of a Panel Investigation	Wolfgang Thomas & Palabora Mining Company	English
1973	South Africa's Political Alternatives✓ — Report of the Political Commission of the Study Project on Christianity in Apartheid September SPRO-CAS Publication; N° 10	Peter Randall	English
1973	The Black Interpreters✓	Nadine Gordimer	English
1973	The Ethics of Illegal Action✓ — And Other Essays	Daniel Charl Stephanus Oosthuizen	English
1974	Confused Mhlaba✓ — A Play in Nine Scenes	Khayalethu Mqayisa	English
1974	Dusklands✓	John Maxwell Coetzee	English
1974	From Breakfast to Madness✓	Bernard Levinson	English
1974	Health, Healing and Society✓	L. G. Wells	English
1974	It's Gettin Late and Other Poems from 'Ophir'✓	Walter Saunders & Peter Horn	English
1974	Ophir✓	—	English
1974	Snarl✓	—	English
1974	The Durban Strikes, 1973✓ — "Human Beings with Souls"	Institute for industrial education	English
1974	The Grey Ones✓ — Essays on Censorship	Jonathan Stewart Paton	English
1974	Walking Through Our Sleep✓	Peter Horn	English
1974	Where White Is the Colour Where Black Is the Number✓	Wopko Pieter Jensma	English
1974	Where White Is the Colour, Where Black Ist the Number✓	Wopko Jensma	English
1975	Church and Nationalism in South Africa✓	Consultation on Church and Nationalism Mapumulo, South Africa 1974	English
1975	Ecumenical Movement in the 1960s✓	M. Nash	English
1975	L M and Other Stories✓	Peter Wilhelm	English
1975	LM and Other Stories✓	Peter Wilhelm	English
1975	Local Colour✓	Stephen Gray	English
1975	Muriel at Metropolitan✓	Miriam Tlali	English
1975	Ophir✓	—	English
1975	Religious Beliefs and White Prejudice✓	Robert Buis	English
1975	The Trial of Beyers Naudé✓ — Christian Witness and the Rule of Law	Internationale Juristen-Kommission	English
1975	The World of Nat Nakasa✓ — Selected Writings of the Late Nat Nakasa	Nat Nakasa	English
1976	Encounter with Age ... Or✓ — How to Avoid a Nervous Breakdown While Growing Old	Archie Borowitz	English
1976	Farewell to Innocence✓ — A Social-Ethical Study of Black Theology and Black Power	Allan Boesak	English
1976	Mafangambiti✓ — The Story of a Bull	Titus Ntsieni Maumela	English
1976	The Bent Pine✓ — The Trial of Chief Langalibalele	Norman Herd	English
1976	The Falls Run Back✓ — Poems	Michael Macnamara	English
1976	The Transkei✓ — South Africa's Politics of Partition	Patrick Laurence	English
1976	Turfloop Testimony✓ — The Dilemma of a Black University in South Africa	G. M. Nkondo	English
1976	Western Coloured Township✓ — Problems of an Urban Slum	Marianne Brindley	English
1977	A South African Pilgrimage✓	Edgar Harry Brookes	English
1977	Contemporary South African Plays✓	Ernest Pereira	English
1977	Farewell to Innocence✓ — A Social-Ethical Study of Black Theology and Black Power	Allan Aubrey Boesak	English
1977	I Must Show You My Clippings✓	Wopko Jensma	English
1977	Mashangu's Reverie, and Other Essays✓	N. C. Manganyi	English
1977	Mines, Masters and Migrants✓ — Life in a Namibian Mine Compound	Robert J. Gordon	English
1977	Reminiscences of a Rand Pioneer✓ — The Memoirs of Renault Courtney Acutt	Renault Courtney Acutt	English
1977	The African University in Development✓	Asavia Wandira	English
1977	The Dark Wood✓ — A Novel	Peter Wilhelm	English
1977	The Durban Strikes, 1973✓ — "Human Beings with Souls"	Institute for Industrial Education	English
1977	Turfloop Testimony✓ — The Dilemma of a Black University in South Africa	—	English
1977	Whitey✓ — A Novel	David Muller	English
1978	Among the Souvenirs✓	Mike Nicol	English
1978	Casey & Co✓ — Selected Writings of Casey "Kid" Motsisi	Casey Motsisi	English
1978	Change, Reform and Economic Growth in South Africa✓	Lawrence Schlemmer & Eddie Webster	English
1978	ESSAYS in South African Labour History✓	—	English
1978	Essays in Southern African Labour History✓ Ravan Labour Studies; 1	John Stuart Kane-Berman	English
1978	From the Calabash✓ — Poems and Woodcuts	Motšhile wa Nthodi	English
1978	In the Heart of the Country✓ — A Novel	John Maxwell Coetzee	English
1978	Lindiwe✓ — A Musical Play in Two Acts Ravan Playscripts -- 3	Shimane Solly Mekgoe	English
1978	Mission and Colonialism in Namibia✓	J. Lukas De Vries	English
1978	Not His Pride✓ — A Play Ravan Playscripts	Makwedini Julius Mtsaka	English
1978	Quislings or Realists?✓ — A Documentary Study of Coloured Politics in South Africa	Pierre Hugo	English
1978	Ravan labour studies✓	—	Not recorded
1978	Ravan Playscripts✓	—	English
1978	Soweto✓ — Black Revolt, White Reaction	John Stuart Kane-Berman	English
1978	Soweto: black revolt, white revolution	John Stuart Kane-Berman	Not recorded
1978	Staffrider✓	Congress of South African Writers	English
1978	The African University Development✓	Asavia Wandira	English
1978	The African University in Development✓	Asavia Wandira	English
1978	The Fantastical History of a Useless Man✓ — Devised by the Junction Avenue Theatre Company: Under the Direction of Malcolm Purkey Ravan Playscripts	Junction Avenue Theatre Company	English
1978	The Hajji and Other Stories✓	Ahmed Essop	English
1978	The Passing of Pageview✓	Manfred Hermer	English
1979	Africa My Beginning✓	Ingoapele Madingoane	English
1979	Call Me Not a Man✓	Mtutuzeli Matshoba	English
1979	Call Me Not a Man Who Is the Man in the Story✓	Mtutuzeli Matshoba	English
1979	Chirundu✓ — A Novel	Es'kia Mphahlele	English
1979	Die vinger van God✓ — Preke oor geloof en die politiek	Allan Aubrey Boesak	Afrikaans
1979	Economics of Health in South Africa✓	Francis Wilson	English
1979	Just a Little Stretch of Road✓	Neil Alwin Williams & Fhazel Johnnesse	English
1979	Labour, Townships and Protest✓ — Studies in the Social History of the Witwatersrand	Belinda Bozzoli & History Workshop	English
1979	Literatur als Dialog✓ — Festschrift zum 50. Geburtstag von Karl Tober	Karl Tober & Reingard Nethersole	German
1979	Say a Little Mantra for Me✓	Yvonne Burgess	English
1979	South Africa Transit✓	Manfred Jurgensen	English
1979	Staffrider Series✓	—	English
1979	The Finger of God✓ — Sermons on Faith and Socio-Political Responsibility	Allan Aubrey Boesak	English
1979	The First South African✓ — A Play Ravan Playscripts	Fatima Dike	English
1979	The Hajji and Other Stories✓	Ahmed Essop	English
1979	The Mantis and the Moon✓ — Stories for the Children of Africa	Marguerite Poland	English
1979	The Story of Mboma✓ Msinga Series; No. 1	Mboma Dladla	English
1980	23 South African Poems✓	Roy Campbell & Ridley Beeton	English
1980	A Separate Development✓	Christopher Hope	English
1980	Amandla✓ — A Novel Staffrider Series -- No. 6	Miriam Tlali	English
1980	Another Year in Africa✓	Rose Zwi	English
1980	Casey and Co✓ — Selected Writings of Casey 'Kid' Motsisi	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1980	Chibaro✓ — African Mine Labour in Southern Rhodesia, 1900-1933	Charles Van Onselen	English
1980	Die bidsprinkaan en die maan, en ander verhalen✓ Ravan boeke vir die kinders van Afrika	Marguerite Poland	Afrikaans
1980	Echoes of My Other Self✓	Shahhir Banosbhai	English
1980	Economics of Health in South Africa✓	Francis Wilson & School of Economics	English
1980	Forced Landing✓ — Africa South: Contemporary Writings Staffrider Series; 03	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1980	Maids & Madams✓ — A Study in the Politics of Exploitation	Jacklyn Cock	English
1980	Maids and Madams✓ — A Study in the Politics of Exploitation	Jacklyn Cock	English
1980	Mzala✓ — The Stories of Mbulelo Mzamane Staffrider Series -- No. 5	Mbulelo Mzamane	English
1980	Ogun Abibimañ✓ — An epic poem dedicated to the fallen of Soweto	Wole Soyinka	English
1980	Race and State in Capitalist Development✓ — South Africa in Comparative Perspective	Stanley B. Greenberg	English
1980	Staffrider Series✓	—	English
1980	Store up the Anger✓ — A Novel	Wessel Ebersohn	English
1980	Swords or Ploughshares?✓ — South Africa and Political Change: An Introduction	Vincent Victor Razis	English
1980	The Centurion✓	Wessel Ebersohn	English
1980	The Diary of Maria Tholo✓	Carol Hermer	English
1980	The Eye of the Needle✓ — Towards Participatory Democracy in South Africa	Richard Turner	English
1980	The Lahnee's Pleasure✓ Ravan Playscripts	Ronnie Govender	English
1980	The Story of an Afrikaner✓ — Die Rewolusie van Die Kinders?	Natie Ferreira	English
1980	The Visitation✓	Ahmed Essop	English
1980	Tutti and the Magic Bird✓ Ravan Books for the Children of Africa	Julia Boyd-Harvey	English
1980	We Shall Sing for the Fatherland and Other Plays✓ Ravan Playscripts	Zakes Mda	English
1981	“A” People's History of South Africa✓	Luli Callinicos	English
1981	A Seed Must Seem to Die✓ — And Other Poems Staffrider Series	Daniel P. Kunene	English
1981	A Shanty Town in South Africa✓ — The Story of Modderdam	Andrew Silk	English
1981	African Women✓ — Their Struggle for Economic Independence Women in the Third World Series	Christine Obbo	English
1981	At the End of a War✓	Peter Wilhelm	English
1981	Essays in Southern African Labour History✓ Ravan Labour Studies; 1	Edward Webster	English
1981	Forced Landing✓ — Africa South: Contemporary Writings Staffrider Series; No. 3	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1981	Gold and Workers 1886-1924✓ A People's History of South Africa; 1	Luli Callinicos	English
1981	Gold and Workers 1886-1924 (People's History of South Africa, Vol 1)	Callinicos Luli	English
1981	In the Country of the Black Pig, and Other Poems✓	Christopher Hope	English
1981	July's People	Nadine Gordimer	English
1981	Looking Through the Keyhole✓ — Dissenting Essays on the Black Experience	N. C. Manganyi	English
1981	Music in the Mix✓ — The Story of South African Popular Music	Muff Andersson	English
1981	Once at KwaFubesi✓	Marguerite Poland	English
1981	Reconstruction✓ — 90 Years of Black Historical Literature Staffrider Series; 08	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1981	Render Unto Kaiser✓ — A Transkei Dossier	Barry Streek	English
1981	Rural Shelter in Southern Africa✓ — A Survey of the Architecture, House Forms, and Constructional Methods of the Black Rural Peoples of Southern Africa	Franco Frescura	English
1981	Seeds of War✓ Staffrider Series	Mtutuzeli Matshoba	English
1981	Soweto✓ — Black Revolt, White Reaction	John Stuart Kane-Berman	English
1981	The House of Phalo✓ — A History of the Xhosa People in the Days of Their Independence New History of Southern Africa Series	J. B. Peires	English
1981	The Inverted Pyramid✓ — A Novel	Rose Zwi	English
1981	The School Master✓	Rose Moss	English
1981	The Schoolmaster✓	Rose Moss	English
1981	The Struggle for Zimbabwe✓ — The Chimurenga War	David Martin & Phyllis Johnson	English
1981	The Unbroken Song✓ — Selected Writings of Esḱia Mphahlele Staffrider Series	Es'kia Mphahlele	English
1981	To Every Birth Its Blood✓ Staffrider Series; 12	Mongane Wally Serote	English
1981	Town and Countryside in the Transvaal✓ — Capitalist Penetration and Popular Response	History Workshop (2nd 1981 University of the Witwatersrand)	English
1981	Under the Marula Tree✓	Patti Henderson	English
1981	Waiting for Leila✓ Staffrider Series	Achmat Dangor	English
1981	Waiting for the Barbarians✓	John Maxwell Coetzee	English
1981	Working for Boroko✓ — The Origins of a Coercive Labour System in South Africa	Marian Lacey	English
1982	Exiles and Homecomings✓ — A Biography of Es'kia Mphahlele	Noel Chabani Manganyi	English
1982	In the Heart of the Country✓ — A Novel	J. M. Coetzee	English
1982	Kings, Commoners and Concessionaires: The Evolution and Dissolution of the Nineteenth-Century Swazi State	Jeff Guy	Not recorded
1982	Little England on the Veld✓ — The English Private School System in South Africa	Peter Randall	English
1982	Mama Ndiyalida✓ — Stories	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1982	Mama Ndiyalila✓ — Stories Staffrider Series	Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1982	Native Life in South Africa✓Free — Before and Since the European War and the Boer Rebellion	Sol T. Plaatje	English
1982	Native Life in South Africa Before and Since the European War and the Boer Rebellion / Sol. T. Plaatje; Introd. By Brian Willan✓	Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje	English
1982	New Nineveh✓ Studies in the Social and Economic History of the Witwatersrand, 1886-1914, v. 2	Charles Van Onselen	English
1982	No More Lullabies✓ — Poems Staffrider Series; 15	Mafika Pascal Gwala	English
1982	None but Ourselves✓ — Masses vs. Media in the Making of Zimbabwe	Julie Frederikse & Biddy Patridge	English
1982	Not Without Honour✓ — Tribute to Beyers Naudé	Peter Randall	English
1982	Studies in the Social and Economic History of the Witwatersrand, 1886-1914✓	Charles Van Onselen	English
1982	The Beat of Drum✓ — The Story of a Magazine That Documented the Rise of Africa	—	English
1982	The Bush Shrike✓ Ravan Books for the Children of Africa	Marguerite Poland	English
1982	The Children of Soweto✓ — A Trilogy Staffrider Series	Mbulelo Mzamane	English
1982	The Destruction of the Zulu Kingdom✓ — The Civil War in Zululand, 1879 - 1884	Jeff Guy	English
1982	The Ochre People✓	Noni Jabavu	English
1982	The Political Economy of Pondoland, 1860-1930✓ African Studies Series; 33	William Beinart	English
1982	The Return of the Amasi Bird✓ — Black South African Poetry; 1891 - 1981	Tim Couzens	English
1982	Theatre and Society in Africa✓	Mineke Schipper	English
1983	A Visit to the Newspaper✓	Isobel Randall	English
1983	Black People and the South African War✓ — 1899 - 1902	Peter Warwick	English
1983	Black Politics in South Africa Since 1945✓	Tom Lodge	English
1983	Bulldozer✓ — Poems Staffrider Series; 17	Achmat Dangor	English
1983	Canvas City✓ Ravan Educational Books	Jenny Seed	English
1983	Casey and Co✓ — Selected Writings of Casey 'Kid' Motsisi	Casey Motsisi & Mothobi Mutloatse	English
1983	Dispossessed✓ Staffrider Series	Modikwe Dikobe	English
1983	Essays in Southern African Labour History✓	—	English
1983	Exiles and Homecomings✓ — A Biography of Es'kia Mphahlele	N. C. Manganyi	English
1983	Fools and Other Stories✓ Staffrider Series	Njabulo S. Ndebele	English
1983	Kings, Commoners, and Concessionaires✓ — The Evolution and Dissolution of the Nineteenth-Century Swazi State African Studies Series -- 31	P. L. Bonner	English
1983	Life & Times of Michael K✓	John Maxwell Coetzee	English
1983	Lip from Southern African Women✓	Dan O'Meara	English
1983	Same Foundations, New Facades? South African Review	South African Research Service	English
1983	South African Review✓ — Edited and Compiled... for the Southern African Research Service (SARS)	Southern African Research Service	English
1983	The Fiery-Necked Nightjar✓ — A Christmas Story	Marguerite Poland	English
1983	The Heretic✓ — A Study of the Life of John William Colenso, 1814-1883	Jeff Guy	English
1983	The Land Belongs to Us✓ — The Pedi Polity, the Boers, and the British in the Nineteenth-Century Transvaal New History of Southern Africa Series	Peter Delius	English
1983	The Park and Other Stories✓ Staffrider Series; No. 20	James David Matthews	English
1983	Town and Countryside in the Transvaal✓ — Capitalist Penetration and Popular Response History Workshop; 2	History Workshop (2nd 1981 University of the Witwatersrand)	English
1983	Volkskapitalisme✓ — Class, Capital, and Ideology in the Development of Afrikaner Nationalism, 1934-1948	Dan O'Meara	English
December 1983	Xhosa Oral Poetry✓ — Aspects of a Black South African Tradition	Jeff Opland	English
1983	Zinzi and Jomo Visit the Gold Mine Museum✓	—	English
1984	Afrika My Music✓ — An Autobiography, 1957-1983	Es'kia Mphahlele	English
1984	Anglo✓ — Anglo American and the Rise of Modern South Africa	Duncan Innes	English
1984	Apartheid and Education✓ — The Education of Black South Africans An "Africa Perspective" Project	Peter Kallaway	English
1984	Father Come Home✓	Es'kia Mphahlele	English
1984	Hlabelela Mntwanami =Sing, My Child✓ — Zulu Children's Songs	Pessa Weinberg, Gamakhulu Diniso & Rose Crass-Striebel	English
1984	Letters from the White South✓ — The Voice of Reason	Sidney Trentbridge-Smith	English
1984	Light in a Stark Age✓ Staffrider Series	Steve Jacobs	English
1984	Maids & Madams✓ — A Study in the Politics of Exploitation	Jacklyn Cock	English
1984	Maids and Madams✓ — A Study in the Politics of Exploitation	Jacklyn Cock	English
1984	Music and Its Social Meanings✓	Christopher John Ballantine	English
1984	Notre Dame Under the Southern Cross✓	Patricia Kay	English
1984	O Earth, Wait for Me✓ Staffrider Series	Frank Mkalawile Chipasula	English
1984	Shadows of a Sun-Darked Land✓	Shabbir Banoobhai	English