Description
Lost and Found in Johannesburg by Mark Gevisser is a hybrid memoir and cultural exploration that examines identity, geography, and memory through the lens of Johannesburg’s divided urban landscape.
The book traces Gevisser’s lifelong fascination with maps and city boundaries, beginning in his childhood under apartheid South Africa, where spatial segregation shaped how he understood the world. Through personal reflection and historical context, he explores how geography defined access, belonging, and exclusion—particularly in relation to areas such as Alexandra and Soweto. As the narrative develops, the work expands beyond cartography into deeply personal territory, reflecting on sexuality, race, and identity as Gevisser comes of age during South Africa’s political transition. The text blends memoir, social history, and urban analysis, using maps, photographs, and lived experience to interrogate how cities shape human lives and relationships.
Lost and Found in Johannesburg is suited to readers interested in memoir, South African history, urban studies, and identity-focused non-fiction.
