Dayspring traces Driver’s youth in South Africa, his anti-apartheid activism, and the experiences that shaped him into an exiled campaigner, distinguished British schoolmaster, and acclaimed poet. Jonty Driver was Headmaster of Berkhamstead Boys from 1983 to 1989.

This memoir covers his early years in a style reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s autobiographical Boy, and progresses into Driver’s tenure as the president of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) in the turbulent 1960s. This was the work for which he was incarcerated and tortured by the South African government, before he fled to the UK. He lived in exile for the remainder of his life, working in education and producing several poetry collections. Dayspring also includes a selection of his poems chosen by J.M. Coetzee. 

Dayspring was first published in South Africa and was a The New Statesman Book of the Year 2024. This publication is a new edition for the UK market. 

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