© 2026 Sholto Ainslie and Sophia Ainslie for William Stewart Ainslie’s artworks
© 2026 Michael Bruce Gardiner for handbook text
Author's Note
Michael Gardiner has a career as educationist and literary critic. In addition to his articles on local writing, he has published on educational policy and edited education journals. He is primarily interested in South African work of the 20th century with a focus on poetry and short stories. He recently exhibited his collection of Ainslie and Art Foundation memorabilia, combined with those of Fieke Ainslie and Pat Mautloa, at the 2025-2026 Wits Art Museum exhibition, Intersections: Bill Ainslie and the Johannesburg Art Foundation.
I wish to acknowledge support for the compilation of the Handbook from the following people: Sholto Ainslie, Sophia Ainslie, Lunetta Bartz, Catherine Brubeck, Ricky Burnett, Bob Cnoops, Katherine Gardiner, Lettie Gardiner, Jack Ginsberg, William Kentridge, Elizabeth Sleith and Jill Trappler.
Author: Michael Bruce Gardiner
Textual consultants: Lettie Gardiner and Katherine Gardiner
Editor: Elizabeth Sleith
Proofreader: Lynda Stephenson
Book concept and design: Lunetta Bartz
Photography: Bob Cnoops for Tsitsikamma and Gatooma
Scanning: MAKER, Johannesburg
Web: James Gardiner
Tech stack: Wagtail CMS and Tailwind CSS
All chapter details of the cover painting TSITSIKAMMA acrylic on canvas 300 x 210 cm c.1985 photographed by Bob Cnoops.
This edition of the Bill Ainslie Handbook, at billainslie.com, is available as a free download, provided full credit is included in all references.