Essential Schreiner

'Essential Schreiner’ provide readers with all the basics about Olive Schreiner’s letters, publications and events in her life. For anyone who doesn't have time to read everything - look no further! everything needed is here in a condensed way.

‘Must Read’ is a miscellany of letters drawn across Schreiner’s interests and writing styles from the 1870s to 1920 and contains many ‘great letters’, some of which send shivers down the spine because of their prophetic accuracy. It also contains letters which are ordinary, angry, joyful, sad, curious, amused and much more, and gives an overview of Schreiner's letter-writing across her life-time.

‘Changes, Transitions & Turning-Points’ letters are concerned with ordinary as well as extraordinary changes and turning-points in Schreiner's life, and which provide food for thought regarding what she saw as her successes and failures. In addition, Olive Schreiner had a lively sense of humour and keenly relished the odd, funny or wry side of life.

‘The Lighter Side’ letters show a side of Schreiner that biographers and commentators on her work rarely mention, that she was really good fun, and wrote some droll, funny and sometimes hilarious letters.

'Schreiner Publications' is previse ly that, a list of Schreiner's major and minor publications, with a good many of the latter not previously known about. Most of Schreiner's book-legth writings are available here in downloadable pdf or other formats.

‘A Schreiner Chronology’ lists main events and movements of the Schreiner family as well as Olive Schreiner herself and will help to place her and her activities in time and space.

'Glimpses of Olive' provides comments made about Schreiner, from her being a baby onwards, which appear in other people's letters.

'Schreiner on Writing & Publishing' provides a full listing of every letter in which Screiner wrote about writing and publishing and is definitely essential Schreiner.

The graph below shows the numbers of (extant) letters Schreiner wrote from year to year, and reveals some quite startling ups and downs.

Number of Olive Schreiner letters against year of writing