John Williamson

I am a writer working and living between France and Mauritius. My work as an author has been shaped by a 35 year professional career in Africa. Born in Normandy in the sixties, but immersed in Anglo-Saxon culture since a language exchange program in England in the summer of 1981, my work is steeped in my 33 years as a resident in English speaking countries or former remnants of the British Empire (United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Mauritius). I gradually became a freelance journalist, cultural columnist, lyricist, poet, and writer. Drawing on these many experiences, encounters, and bilingual readings, I gradually focused on two central themes, rooted in my dual professional expertise : the Arts world (painting, music, performing arts) and the geopolitical history of the nations I know best (France, South Africa, and Mauritius). This desire to bear witness, to share, and to raise awareness, led to the publication of three books : an art book about Mauritius in 2004 “NILA”, an essay published in France in July 2025 “An eye over Mauritius”, and a collection of poems and aphorisms to be published in 2027 : “Paradise…”.

A Mauritian trilogy !

Three other works are currently being written or in the early stages of publishing. This site will showcase these upcoming works in 2027…