This event marked the milestone of this iconic children's novel and featured authors including Beverley Naidoo, Michael Rosen, and Darren Chetty.
Date: 30 March 2025
On 20 March 2025, Anti-Apartheid Legacy hosted a special event at London Metropolitan University to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Beverley Naidoo’s groundbreaking children’s novel, ‘Journey to Jo’burg’.
Nearly 350 students from eight Islington primary schools joined authors Beverley Naidoo, poet Michael Rosen, and educator Darren Chetty for a day of storytelling, discussion, and creative expression. The event was coordinated by the London Met Lab: Empowering London in partnership with the Anti-Apartheid Legacy.
‘Journey to Jo’burg’, published in 1985 and banned in South Africa until 1991, tells the story of two children navigating the injustices of apartheid. The novel’s themes of courage, family, and hope continue to resonate globally, making it a staple in classrooms today.
Caroline Kamana, the Director of the Anti-Apartheid Legacy Centre, commented: “We are proud to have a special partnership with London Metropolitan University as one of the London Met Lab: Empowering London partners. Their generosity in hosting the ‘40 Years: Journey to Jo’burg’ exhibition and supporting the event logistics was instrumental in bringing this important commemoration to life for Islington's young learners.
“Our shared commitment to social justice made this collaboration especially meaningful. Working together, this event created a powerful platform to engage new generations with the legacy of the anti-apartheid movement and the ongoing struggle for equality,” she added.
Recounting the novel’s origin story
The event highlighted the book’s enduring impact and featured a lively conversation with Beverly Naidoo and Michael Rosen, who reflected on its historical significance and timeless message. Beverley Naidoo, who grew up under the apartheid’s regime, wrote the book while in exile in the UK, channelling her activism into storytelling that continues to educate and inspire.
During the event, the students had plenty of thoughtful and enthusiastic questions for Beverley, Michael, and Darren, some even arriving with carefully pre-prepared notes.
The event included a creative showcase of student art and writing submissions, with four pupils from Newington Green Primary School awarded personalised copies of the book for their outstanding contributions. Beverley Naidoo also led a moving poem performance, uniting hundreds of young voices to celebrate freedom.
Beverley was thrilled to celebrate the work in this way, noting that the event was an opportunity to “go down memory lane about how and why she wrote ‘Journey to Jo’burg’, while signalling the importance of future journeys to fairness and justice. The book was conceived in Islington, in a flat just off Highbury Fields, so it was extra special to mark its fortieth anniversary with young learners from the borough.”
More than a celebration of literature, the event celebrated the power of storytelling to inspire justice and solidarity. As ‘Journey to Jo’burg’ enters its fifth decade, its legacy continues to inspire conversations and creativity in younger generations.
