Barry Ronge | |
---|---|
Born | Hillbrow, Johannesburg |
Nationality | South Africa |
Alma mater | University of the Witwatersrand |
Occupation | |
Website | http://www.ratherronge.co.za/ |
Barry Johann Ronge is a South African journalist, columnist, writer, broadcaster, movie reviewer and raconteur. He is arguably the country's best-known movie critic as well as one of its most widely read (and discussed) columnists.
Ronge was born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, and grew up on the West Rand where he attended Florida Park High School. He completed his studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, after which he began a teaching career at St. John's College, followed by a ten-year stint as a lecturer in literature at the University of the Witwatersrand.
He later moved on to become a print and electronic journalist, specializing in the arts.
Ronge is probably best known for his Spit and Polish column in the Sunday Times (which has been running for more than fifteen years), his movie reviews for the same newspaper, and his Sunday evening show on Radio 702. After writing for the Sunday Times for 27 years he wrote is last column on the 23rd February 2014. From 2015 onwards the Sunday Times renamed it's prize for South African literature to the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize.