The Wits History Workshop in 1978 introduced what would result in a series of conferences. Their focus was to present and discuss historical, sociological, political, literary, economic and anthropological aspects of the lives and experiences of the ordinary people mainly on the Witwatersrand and the larger region of the Transvaal. Initially these conferences were spaced at an interval of three years, and subsequently took place in 1978, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999.

This collection seeks to consolidate the programs and papers that were presented at each of the thematic conferences.