Publisher bestowed with honorary doctorate by University of Johannesburg
Margaret Busby, the youngest, at the time, black woman to become a publisher in the UK, was honoured with a honorary doctorate by the University of Johannesburg at their recent graduation.
“How privileged I feel to be receiving this recognition from the University of Johannesburg – the first educational institution on African soil to honour me – on this extraordinary continent where I was born. This acknowledgement is special. Something I will never forget.” These were the emotional words shared by Margaret Busby (80) after she was conferred with an honorary doctorate at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) for her dedication to critical African scholarship and publishing.
Read more: 2 remarkable South African women honoured by the University of Johannesburg
Busby was honoured with a Doctor of Philosophy in recognition of her reshaping the literary and intellectual landscape. In the 60s, she was the first black woman, and youngest at the time, to become a publisher in the United Kingdom. Becoming a publisher was something she knew she had to do. “I did what I did because I couldn’t not do it. While, historically, I might be the first to have done something considered worthwhile, I wouldn’t want to be the only. The best reward for me is to have inspired others to believe they can do likewise”
Also in the 1960s, she teamed up with Clive Allison to start a publishing company, Allison & Busby. They offered an independent publishing house for an array of texts – from crime and thriller series, to erudite treatises on revolution and freedom. Allison & Busby challenged institutional racism to give generations access to fiction and nonfiction works from around the world. Without her efforts, it is said that many critical and foundational texts, all of which are now central to university reading lists on colonialism, neocolonialism, anticolonial struggle, African feminism, black feminism, decolonisation, and equality, may not have been seen.
In her address to the the graduates, Busby congratulated them on their achievement and shared in their moment of joy. “Today, we are all firsts. For the first time ever, we are all gathered here, celebrating the 20th anniversary of UJ, and the achievement of every single person in this room. Graduation is a moment to treasure.”
Busby forms part of six luminaries that the university honoured during this autumn graduation season. This comes at a time when the university celebrates its 20th anniversary, a milestone that highlights two decades of innovation, resilience, and societal transformation. During this graduation period, more than 13 000 students, who have completed their qualifications, will graduate. Of this number, more than 9 000 are undergraduate students, while the rest are postgraduates, including 2 310 Honours, 308 Master’s, and 68 Doctoral qualifications.
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