Tony Jackman

With five decades in journalism, Tony Jackman is a veteran newspaperman whose work has shaped South African culture through food, storytelling, and reflection. A columnist at Daily Maverick, Tony brings heart, wit, and gravitas to everything he writes — from restaurant reviews to sociopolitical essays grounded in the rhythms of Karoo living. He is the author of foodSTUFF, a deeply personal memoir-cookbook hybrid that explores food as memory, history, and identity. His literary talents extend to the stage as well: his acclaimed play An Audience with Miss Hobhouse and other theatrical works reveal his deep engagement with South African history, feminism, and forgotten voices like Emily Hobhouse and Olive Schreiner.

Tony is available to speak or write compellingly on:

• Food culture and storytelling
• Karoo life and its quiet revolutions
• The legacies of Emily Hobhouse and Olive Schreiner
• School bullying and personal resilience
• The power of memory, place, and flavour

Whether guiding readers through a small-town meal or unpacking the emotional texture of the past, Tony’s work bridges the deeply personal with the historically profound. He helps audiences connect food with memory, politics with humanity, and place with identity.

Tony’s speaking style is conversational, thought-provoking, deep and funny. A natural storyteller, he draws people in with warmth, paints vivid portraits of place and time, and always leaves his audience with something to feel — and something to think about.