“Many people have compared me to the Victorian adventure writer, Rider Haggard. I accept that as a compliment. As a boy growing up in Central Africa I read all Haggard's African novels.”

Rhodesian-born British-South African novelist

Wilbur Smith was a Rhodesian-born British-South African novelist. He wrote historical fiction and became widely known for stories set around international involvement in Southern Africa across four centuries. His work is associated with sweeping historical narratives that connect Southern Africa to wider world affairs. He focused on long spans of history and on the forces that shaped the region over time.