Donald Pinnock is a South African writer, investigative journalist, and photographer. He was born in 1947, in Queenstown, South Africa, and educated at

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the Queens borough of New York City. It is part of the City University of New York system. Its 80-acre campus is primarily located in Flushing, Queens. It has a student body representing more than 170 ...

. He is a Research Fellow at the Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town, a former editor of Getaway magazine in Cape Town, and writes for '' Daily Maverick''. He has been a lecturer in journalism and criminology, consultant to the Mandela government, a professional yachtsman, explorer, travel and environmental writer and photographer. His passions are species conservation in Africa and the relationship between early social and biological trauma and high-risk adolescent behavior.

Academic and professional career

Pinnock has a PhD in political science, an MA in criminology, a BA in African history and has published a post-doctoral study on gangs, rituals and rites of passage. He has held lectureships in Journalism (Rhodes) and Criminology ( University of Cape Town) and conducted his PhD research at School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. He was the first Writer in Residence at South Africa's Antarctic

SANAE IV SANAE IV is a current South African Antarctic research base located in Vesleskarvet, Queen Maud Land. The base is part of the South African National Antarctic Program (SANAP) and is operated by the South African National Antarctic Expeditio ...

base (2005–06). As a criminologist, he was one of the co-drafters for the ANC government of the Youth Justice White Paper, which became the Child Justice Act. He is a specialist in adolescent deviance, was one of the founders of the Usiko Trust and is a trustee of the Chrysalis Academy, both involved with support and training for high-risk youth. He is an Honorary Research Associate in the Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town. He was appointed a commissioner of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2017. He has held three photographic exhibitions in Cape Town: ''The Wonder of Elephants'' and ''Postcards from the Road''. ''$treet$'' is a traveling exhibition that explores gang life. He is a columnist for BA High Life and Mahala and researcher/writer for the Conservation Action Trust, '' The Dodo'' and '' Daily Maverick''.

Awards

* 1979 – Diocesan College History Prize: African history * 1993 – Robert Ally Award: journalism * 1997 – Pica Award: Environment, Wildlife & Conservation Journalism Award * 1997 – Mondi Award for Journalism: Foresight * 1998 – Mondi Award for Journalism: Issues * 1999 – Pica Award: Consumer Journalism * 1999 – Pica Award: Wildlife & Conservation Journalism Award * 2001 – Mondi Award for Journalism: Foresight * 2001 – Mondi Award for Journalism: Columns * 2009 – Finalist,

European Union Literary Award The Dinaane Debut Fiction Award – formerly the European Union Literary Award – is a South African literary award, open to South African and SADC writers who are residents of these countries. The manuscripts that are submitted must be a first, ...

(for ''Rainmaker'') * 2010 – Finalist, Mondi Award for Journalism: Columns * 2013 – City Press Non-Fiction Award for his book Gang Town

Personal life

He is married to the novelist and poet Patricia Schonstein, with whom he has a son and a daughter.

Works

* ''Elsies River: a Popular History'', 1981 * ''The Brotherhoods: Street Gangs and State Control'', 1984 * ''Gangs, Rituals and Rites of Passage'', 1997 * ''Telona'', 1998 * ''They Fought for Freedom'', 2000 * ''Natural Selections: The African Wanderings Of a Bemused Naturalist'', 2002 * ''African Journeys'', 2004 * ''Writing Left: The Radical Journalism of Ruth First'', 2007 * ''Loveletters to Africa'', 2008 * ''Blue Ice: Travels in Antarctica'', 2008 * ''The Woman who Lived in a Tree and Other Perfect Strangers'', 2009 * ''Rainmaker'', 2010 * ''Voices of Liberation: Ruth First'', 2012 * ''Wild Resilience: Working with high-risk adolescents using wilderness, ritual & mentorship'', 2015 * ''Gang Town'', 2016 * ''The Last Elephants''2019

References

External links

*
Don Pinnock on South African Journalist's Wiki

Interviews conducted by Don Pinnock for Ruth First Papers

Don Pinnock at the Open Book Festival

List of articles written for the Mail & Guardian

List of articles written for The Dodo

List of articles written for Conservation Action Trust
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinnock, Donald Academic staff of the University of Cape Town 1947 births Living people South African journalists Alumni of Queen's College Boys' High School