Jonny Steinberg Receives High Praise from Washington Post

Jonny Steinberg’s latest book, Sizwe's Test: A Young Man's Journey Through Africa's AIDS Epidemic, earned a highly favorable review in the June 3 edition of The Washington Post, which noted that “nearly 30 years after the AIDS epidemic began, this provocative account offers something genuine, important and new.”

Steinberg will offer behind-the-scenes stories of Sizwe Magadla’s journey and talk about the African AIDS crisis as part of this year’s Fall for the Book Festival. His appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24, at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.

The Post review — accessible in its entirety here — stated that: “Ever since the epidemic shifted course, moving from hard-hit communities of gay men and IV drug users in the First World to the generalized pandemic spread mostly through heterosexual contact in sub-Saharan Africa, few writers have gotten very deeply under the skin of this still-unfolding catastrophe. Steinberg’s book is a significant contribution.”

Sizwe’s Test is Steinberg’s third book. Two previous books — Midlands and The Number — each won the Sunday Times Alan Paton Prize, the premier nonfiction literary award in Steinberg’s native South Africa.

Steinberg is one of several African writers appearing at this year’s festival. Others include Biyi Bandele, Tsitsi Dangaremgba, Alain Mabanckou, and Chinua Achebe, who will receive the festival’s 2008 Mason Award. Complete details on these and other events will be posted on this web site soon.