Sonny Venkatrathnam
South African Human Rights Activist
About Sonny Venkatrathnam
Lived 1935 – 2019 (aged 83). Sonny Venkatrathnam was a South African human rights defender, anti-apartheid activist and human rights activist.
Sonny Venkatrathnam (27 July 193515 March 2019) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and human rights activist who was imprisoned in the Robben Island Maximum Security Prison along with other anti-apartheid activists including Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki, and Mac Maharaj. He was most famously known for smuggling an edition of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare into the prison. The book was shared with many of the high-profile prisoners in the prison and was called the Robben Island Bible. He was most famously known for smuggling an edition of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare into the prison. The book went on to be known as the Robben Island Bible.
Personal life Venkatrathnam died on 15 March 2019. He was aged 84.
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Sonny Venkatrathnam?
South African Human Rights Activist (1935-2019)
When was Sonny Venkatrathnam born?
Sonny Venkatrathnam was born on 27 July 1935 in Durban, Natal (province).
When did Sonny Venkatrathnam die?
Sonny Venkatrathnam died on 15 March 2019 in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.
What was Sonny Venkatrathnam's occupation?
Sonny Venkatrathnam was a human rights defender, anti-apartheid activist and human rights activist.
What nationality was Sonny Venkatrathnam?
Sonny Venkatrathnam was South African.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Sonny Venkatrathnam
· DBpedia: Sonny Venkatrathnam
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sonny Venkatrathnam. https://biography.guide/sonny-venkatrathnam/
MLA: "Sonny Venkatrathnam." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sonny-venkatrathnam/.
Chicago: "Sonny Venkatrathnam." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sonny-venkatrathnam/.
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