Olive Schreiner

Date of Birth: March 24, 1855

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: December 11, 1920

Biography

Olive Schreiner was a South African author, anti-war campaigner, and intellectual born on March 24, 1855, in Wittebergen Mission Station, Basutoland (now Lesotho). She is best known for her novel “The Story of an African Farm,” published in 1883 under the pseudonym Ralph Iron. The book is considered one of the earliest feminist novels and was groundbreaking in its exploration of issues such as gender, race, and colonialism. Schreiner came from a large missionary family, and her upbringing in a colonial frontier environment deeply influenced her worldview and writings. She spent much of her early life traveling around South Africa with her family. Later, she moved to England to pursue a career in nursing, but her health problems soon led her back to South Africa. Throughout her life, Schreiner was actively involved in various social causes, including women’s rights, pacifism, and labor rights. She married Samuel Cronwright in 1894 and adopted his surname, becoming Olive Schreiner Cronwright. Despite her declining health, she continued to write and campaign until her death. Her work remains influential in both literary and feminist circles.

5 Interesting Facts about Olive Schreiner

1. Olive Schreiner’s novel “The Story of an African Farm” is considered one of the first feminist novels and was published when she was just 28 years old.

2. Schreiner was an ardent critic of British imperialism and actively opposed the South African War (1899-1902), also known as the Second Boer War.

3. She suffered from asthma and other health issues throughout her life, which significantly impacted her ability to work and travel.

4. Schreiner was deeply involved in the Women’s Enfranchisement League in South Africa, advocating for women’s voting rights.

5. Despite her literary success, she faced financial difficulties throughout her life and often relied on the support of friends and family.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Olive Schreiner

1. “No good work is ever done while the heart is hot and anxious and fretted.”

2. “There was never a great man who had not a great mother.”

3. “My feeling is that there is nothing in life but refraining from hurting others, and comforting those that are sad.”

4. “The woman who creates and sustains a home and under whose hands children grow up to be strong and pure men and women, is a creator second only to God.”

5. “Everything has two sides—the outside that is ridiculous, and the inside that is solemn.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Olive Schreiner’s highest net worth is not well documented, but she experienced financial difficulties throughout her life and was not known to have amassed significant wealth.