Ryan Lenora Brown

Journalist.
Writer.

Johannesburg, South Africa

About

I am a freelance reporter, editor, and researcher based in Johannesburg, South Africa. My work focuses on telling human-level stories from across Africa, and at the moment, I’m writing a lot about long distance running.

For the past decade, I have reported from across the continent for a wide range of international publications, including The New York Times, 99 Percent Invisible, Runners World, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and The Guardian, among others. From 2017 to 2022, I was the Johannesburg Bureau Chief for The Christian Science Monitor.

My work has won several awards, including a citation from the 2021 Overseas Press Club of America for reporting “showing a concern for the human condition.”

Some of my favorite pieces include: the unexpectedly complex story of South Africa's most infamous marathon cheats, a look at the lives of the women who make our clothes in Lesotho, a dispatch from the last post office in South Sudan, and a radio documentary on how an ultra-marathon transformed South Africa.

I also ghost write, copy edit, and provide communications support for NGOs and corporate clients. Let's be in touch!

Contact

ryan [dot] brown [at] fulbrightmail [dot] org