[ad_1]
- Jonathan Ball, who established the publishing house that bears his name, died Saturday afternoon.
- He died after a short battle with cancer; he than 69.
- Friends and industry colleagues remember Ball as an incredible man and a fearless editor.
Jonathan Ball, who established the publisher that bears his name, has been labeled an extremely courageous editor, independent thinker, and straight talker.
Ball, who began publishing in 1976, died Saturday afternoon after a brief battle with cancer. He was 69 years old.
Eugene Ashton, CEO of Jonathan Ball Publishers, confirmed to News24 that Ball died in Cape Town shortly after 3pm and was surrounded by his family.
Ashton said that Ball had established one of the largest liberal publishing houses in South Africa, which published several books challenging both the current government and the Apartheid government.
By posting, Ball was not at all afraid of the truth, Ashton added.
Tim du Plessis, a former editor and friend of Media24, described Ball as an extremely courageous editor.
In 1978, Ball published the controversial book The super Afrikaners, an exhibition on how the Afrikaner fraternity, a secret organization, influenced South Africa and supported the National Party at the height of the apartheid regime.
Du Plessis said the book, and others, were boldly published by Ball, knowing he would receive backlash.
Despite being aware of pending consequences and difficulties in publishing the book, Ball persisted, Du Plessis added.
He added that Ball was strong in his convictions, and not just a businessman, as he refused to publish books full of false accusations.
As a friend, Du Plessis said that Ball was a wonderful human being and that people loved spending time with him.
Ball was described as resourceful, with encyclopedic knowledge and a supreme command of the English language.
“He didn’t suffer fools, he detested hypocrisy, and he was never afraid to speak his mind,” Du Plessis said.
Renowned journalist and author Max du Preez, who was also a friend of Ball, and wrote the forward in the new edition of The super Afrikaners, Ball said he was a rambunctious guy and a huge figure.
Du Preez echoed Du Plessis’s sentiments that Ball was a direct talker and independent thinker.
Du Preez said:
He rewrote the course of publications in South Africa, and not just for money, because he published with great courage at a time when people did not dare.
He added that Ball was a man who loved life and was “absolutely brilliant company.”
Commenting on The super AfrikanersDu Preez said it was not a good time in South Africa to publish such a book, when the National Party was at the height of its power, with the broederbond behind it.
He said Ball knew what he was getting into, but he didn’t stop.
“Very early in his career, he nailed his colors to the neck and said, here I am.”
Former Exclusive Books CEO Fred Withers, who became a close friend of Ball, said he was a man without “double standards, no nonsense,” and that he contributed greatly to the publication in South Africa.
Withers said Ball had lived an honest life, with integrity.
He added that the last but most fond and lasting memory he has of Ball is that he sings Gilbert and Sullivan songs out loud in a restaurant.
“No more Gilbert and Sullivan,” Withers lamented.
Former District Attorney Tony Leon, who has published several books with Jonathan Ball Publishers, said Ball was a courageous and iconoclastic figure in the publishing world.
“My last book, Future Tense, was, very sadly, the last book it inspired, and I am grateful to him for the 30 years of friendship. We should look at it and learn from it. We won’t see its resemblance in the SA books anytime soon. Leon said.
The current CEO of Exclusive Books, Grattan Kirk, said that Ball was an absolute dean of the industry.
“He had a great reputation and impact in the local and international book industry. He was really respected and built a fantastic business,” Kirk said.
Naspers president Koos Bekker said Ball had an uncanny ability to spot award-winning books, which is the publication’s most precious gift.
“Jonathan was a pleasure. Hogarth could have drawn it: larger than life, red-cheeked, scented of empire, and a time when no publisher worth his salt left the table before several bottles of an exceptional vintage already they didn’t exist. He rarely left his company without a laugh, “Bekker said. “I will miss it.”
Ton Vosloo, a former Naspers board chairman, said he brought Ball into the company in 1992 because they did not have an English publisher.
He said that Ball was a great publisher, the best English publisher in South Africa, publishing very important books.
Vosloo said that Ball was a storyteller and that he would compare him to Winston Churchill in terms of his command of the English language and his style of speaking.
Former Media 24 CEO Esmare Weideman said it might sound like a cliché, but Ball really was a legend in the publishing world.
“He turned the empire, which bears his name, into an extremely important publisher. He could see a good book from a mile away and, with his particular charm and political savvy, he landed many important authors and books over the years. His memory “He’s still alive,” Weideman said.
Charles van Onselen, historian and author of the Night trains and the The seed is mine, published by Jonathan Ball Publishers, said that Ball was a brave, larger-than-life publisher with a special love for history.
“He understood the importance of a painful history in a country with an uncertain future. Historians have lost a great friend and direct talker in the land of the forked tongue,” Van Onselen said.
Alison Lowry, who was the first to join Ball on his editorial and was the first editor-in-chief, said she was very sad to learn of his death.
“Our dual publishing careers go back a long way. We were young in the industry finding our way,” Lowry said.
He said that although Ball could be difficult, he had a brilliant mind at times and was widely read.
Lowry added that Ball was viewed with affection and admiration in the industry.
“He was a larger than life character. It’s difficult when someone, who fills a room, suddenly leaves.”
He said that Ball would be remembered as an excellent and courageous editor.
“His legacy remains, he published many excellent books throughout his career.”
Jonathan Ball Publishers and News24 are subsidiaries of Media24.
