It’s not often that political party leaders show a human side beyond the rhetoric. But the newly elected leader of the Democratic Alliance and Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, is a helluva nice guy. And what makes him even more appealing is his love of reading and the wide range of subject matter interests that he consumes between the covers.
From fantasy and fiction to seriously deep political and social-construct non-fiction, he’s evidence of why being well-read, for knowledge, growth, and enjoyment, remains one of the most important aspects of living successfully.
And there’s nothing better than chinwagging about authors and books over a cup of Wimpy coffee. This, in an era when attention spans are measured in TikTok clips and shallow influencer cycles, memes and short-form Dory-media. It was lovely to see a politician who could become animated about Antarctic expeditions, Singaporean economic reform, and Syrian spy fiction in the same conversation.
From fiction to fact
Hill-Lewis shared some of the books he’s had on his bedside table recently.
“These are not necessarily my favourite books,” he said, “But they are some of the best books that I’ve read recently.”
Singapore’s founder, Lee Kuan Yew’s memoirs called From Third World to First.
It’s the account of how Singapore transformed itself from a struggling post-colonial state into one of the wealthiest and most developed countries in the world.
Hill-Lewis shared that he was fascinated by the book, particularly around the discipline and vision that shaped Singapore’s rise. “I found it absolutely brilliant, absolutely fascinating,” he said.
“The story of the early days of Singapore and how they actually changed trajectory from this third world underdeveloped lots of poverty, lots of slums, to actually a place where it’s one of the wealthiest developed first world nations anywhere, I think is very inspiring.”
He added that there was “quite a bit that South Africa can learn from it.”
His reading tastes, though, are not just narrowly political. He shared Darrel Bristow-Bovey’s personal book about the search for Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton’s lost vessel, the Endurance, and Hill-Lewis shared his enthusiasm for the narrative.
“It’s all about this remarkable expedition to find the sunken vessel HMS Endurance that Shackleton went to Antarctica on,” he said. “But all through the lens of his relationship with his father. So, it’s this deeply personal memoir and life story, but also a history book about this amazing expedition.”
What interested him was not just the adventure itself, but the emotional undercurrent running through the narrative, the way personal relationships and historical events become tangled together.
The story of Singapore fascinated him
Then there was spy fiction. David McCloskey, the former CIA analyst turned novelist, currently occupies a top spot on his reading list.
“I think David McCloskey is one of the best spy novelists in the world,” he said. “He is right up there with (John) Le Carré.”
The interest came partly from a desire to better understand the Middle East following renewed conflict in Syria and the surrounding regions.
“I thought I had to start reading more about the Middle East to understand these countries and their history,” he said.
What he discovered in McCloskey’s work was fiction grounded heavily in real geopolitical realities. “He’s a former CIA analyst himself, so he really knows what he’s talking about,” Hill-Lewis said. “All of the politics and context is real, so it’s this part novel, part really accurate reflection of politics and war in Syria.”
From spy novels to science fiction
Max du Preez’s latest book on old-white South Africa, The End Of Normal, may land on his reading list soon. It explores the 50-year period following the 1976 Soweto uprising and reflects on the country’s journey after the fall of apartheid and, later, the resurgence of Afrikaner nationalism. A recent review had caught his attention.
“There’s things that Max has written in the past that I really enjoyed,” he said, “This sounds interesting and the review of it was very good.”
Hill-Lewis said that he reads for several reasons at once. There is curiosity along with escape, relaxation and perspective.
“I love reading fiction, fantasy and sci-fi because it allows you to experience whole different worlds which are not part of your day-to-day world,” he said. Even fantasy novels, he added, teach readers something important about people and life.
“I love that exploration of the mind.”
