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| Letter Reference | HRC/OliveSchreinerUncatLetters/OS-TFisherUnwin/26 |
| Archive | Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, Austin |
| Epistolary Type | Letter |
| Letter Date | 28 September 1896 |
| Address From | The Homestead, Kimberley, Northern Cape |
| Address To | 11 Paternoster Buildings, City, London |
| Who To | T. Fisher Unwin |
| Other Versions | |
| Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
| Legend |
The Project is grateful to the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, the University of Texas at Austin, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscript Collections. This letter is by Olive Schreiner and signed by her, with Cronwright-Schreiner acting as her amanuensis or secretary.
|
1The Homestead
2Kimberley
3Cape Colony
428th Sept. 1896
5
6T. Fisher Unwin Esq.
711 Paternoster Buildings
8London E.C.
9
10Dear Sir,
11
12I wish to ask, in case I decide to publish more articles on South
13Africa, whether you would like to have them for ‘Cosmopolis’ at
14£3.0.0 (three pounds stg) per page?
15
16The articles deal with the relations of the Natives, the Dutch, and
17the English to each other and to South Africa, and the different South
18African problems. Enclosed are the terms upon which you might have the
19articles. I am not sure how many pages they will run to, but believe
20it will be about 90 pages, which might be broken up into three
21articles. It is possible that they may be ^much^ shorter than I think,
22for I cannot yet judge accurately, not having copied them out from the
23rough draft.
24
25If you are willing to accept the articles, in case I decide to publish
26in ‘Cosmopolis’, will you please write by return of post, stating
27your acceptance of the terms enclosed? I cannot accept any
28modification of the terms.
29
30Further, I have a story, somewhat of the nature of an allegory,
31dealing with Rhodes and the problems in Rhodesia, more especially with
32the treatment of the natives. I have it only in rough draft now, but
33think it will be from 20 to 30 pages in length. In case I am willing
34to publish this in ‘Cosmopolis’, would you be willing to pay me
35£3. a page for it?
36
37It is possible that, before receiving your reply, I may have made
38other arrangements, so cannot ?bind may bind myself to accept your
39offer.
40
41The Conditions upon which I sh would allow you to publish the story
42“Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland” will be, as you will see
43from the terms enclosed, that you secure the American Copyright to me,
44as I intend to publish the story in book form in America as well as in
45England, and it is most important therefore that I should retain for
46myself the exclusive copyright for America as well as England.
47
48Please regard this letter as strictly private, as I do not wish a
49mention of either the articles or the story to get about until they
50appear.
51
52Thank you very much for the books you have sent, especially for the
53“Life of Cobden”. I have not hitherto written to thank you, as I
54have been seriously unwell for some time.
55
56Please reply by return mail.
57
58Yours very sincerely,
59^Olive Schreiner^
60
61^P.S. The articles I propose publishing are a further series of those
62published in the “Fortnightly Review”.^
63
2Kimberley
3Cape Colony
428th Sept. 1896
5
6T. Fisher Unwin Esq.
711 Paternoster Buildings
8London E.C.
9
10Dear Sir,
11
12I wish to ask, in case I decide to publish more articles on South
13Africa, whether you would like to have them for ‘Cosmopolis’ at
14£3.0.0 (three pounds stg) per page?
15
16The articles deal with the relations of the Natives, the Dutch, and
17the English to each other and to South Africa, and the different South
18African problems. Enclosed are the terms upon which you might have the
19articles. I am not sure how many pages they will run to, but believe
20it will be about 90 pages, which might be broken up into three
21articles. It is possible that they may be ^much^ shorter than I think,
22for I cannot yet judge accurately, not having copied them out from the
23rough draft.
24
25If you are willing to accept the articles, in case I decide to publish
26in ‘Cosmopolis’, will you please write by return of post, stating
27your acceptance of the terms enclosed? I cannot accept any
28modification of the terms.
29
30Further, I have a story, somewhat of the nature of an allegory,
31dealing with Rhodes and the problems in Rhodesia, more especially with
32the treatment of the natives. I have it only in rough draft now, but
33think it will be from 20 to 30 pages in length. In case I am willing
34to publish this in ‘Cosmopolis’, would you be willing to pay me
35£3. a page for it?
36
37It is possible that, before receiving your reply, I may have made
38other arrangements, so cannot ?bind may bind myself to accept your
39offer.
40
41The Conditions upon which I sh would allow you to publish the story
42“Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland” will be, as you will see
43from the terms enclosed, that you secure the American Copyright to me,
44as I intend to publish the story in book form in America as well as in
45England, and it is most important therefore that I should retain for
46myself the exclusive copyright for America as well as England.
47
48Please regard this letter as strictly private, as I do not wish a
49mention of either the articles or the story to get about until they
50appear.
51
52Thank you very much for the books you have sent, especially for the
53“Life of Cobden”. I have not hitherto written to thank you, as I
54have been seriously unwell for some time.
55
56Please reply by return mail.
57
58Yours very sincerely,
59^Olive Schreiner^
60
61^P.S. The articles I propose publishing are a further series of those
62published in the “Fortnightly Review”.^
63
Notation
Schreiner published at least one of her ‘Returned South African’ essays in Cosmopolis, in which Unwin had a business interest. A set of them was to have been published as ‘Stray Thoughts on South Africa’ soon afterwards. However, although prepared for book publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some other essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Schreiner’s story ‘in the nature of an allegory’ is Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. The Unwin collection of letters includes two sets of terms for publication, one regarding the articles and the other Peter Halket, sent by Cronwright-Schreiner as follows:
'^Tentative
OS.^
T. Fisher Unwin Esq
Terms with regard to the publication of The articles on S. Africa.
^28th Sept. 96^
-----------
1. The articles are to be published exactly as sent Home, without the alteration or omission or one word, or even footnote.
2. That, after one month from the date of publication of the last article, I shall have the exclusive right of reprinting them in England or elsewhere in any form I please, I myself retaining full Copyright.
3. That I retain to myself the right of reprinting extracts from the articles in the Cape newspapers at any date after the copy of the Review has appeared in England in which the given article is contained.
4. I do not bind myself as to the date at which I shall send the succeeding articles, but shall try to supply them for publication in consecutive months.
5. The payment is to be three pounds stg per page.
6. The payment for each article is to be despatched to me not later than the date on which each article appears in England.
7. Your are carefully to secure to me for me the Copyright of each article in America, so that the articles may not be reprinted there is the reviews there in reviews or papers, and that I shall hold the exclusive Copyright in America to enable me to publish there in book form.
8. It must be clearly understood that I retain the future Copyright of these articles: all I am parting with to you is the right to allow them to appear in your review before they have appeared anywhere else; & that l you shall secure this full Copyright to me.
9. Each article shall appear in the first number of the Review afte published after the arrival of the article in England, provided such article arrives in England on or before the 20th of the preceding month Thus, if my article arrives in England on or before the 20th of November, it must be published in the December number of the Review. I shall, however, try to let you have them as early as possible in the month.
10. Immediately as receipt of each article, you are to cable to me the three words “Schreiner, Kimberley, [wordspace] ” and the name of the month in which the article is to appear.
^Olive Schreiner^'
The inserted ‘Tentative OS’ and date at the start of this first set of terms, and ‘Olive Schreiner’ at the end are in Schreiner’s own hand-writing. The second set of terms regarding Peter Halket are:
'^Tentative
OS.
^
T. Fisher Unwin
Terms with regard to the publication of “Trooper Peter Halket”
^28th Sept. 96^
-----------
1. The price paid shall be £3.0.0 (three pounds sterling) per page of “Cosmopolis”.
2. The writer, Olive Schreiner, retains the Copyright and the right of reprinting in England in book form at the expiration of six weeks after its appearance in “Cosmopolis”.
3. She retains the right of publishing either extracts or the whole story in South African papers and periodicals, at any date after its appearance in “Cosmopolis”.
4. She retains the American Copyright (which Mr. Unwin shall secure for her in America as part Condition of his publishing the story in “Cosmopolis”)
5. She retains all rights of translation, which must be stated when the article appears in “Cosmopolis”, as she fears translations may be made who without her consent.
6. The money for this story must be posted from England not later than the date on which the story appears in “Cosmopolis”.
^Olive Schreiner^'
The inserted ‘Tentative OS’ and date at the start of this second set of terms and the insertion of ‘Olive Schreiner’ at the end are in Schreiner’s own hand-writing.
Schreiner published at least one of her ‘Returned South African’ essays in Cosmopolis, in which Unwin had a business interest. A set of them was to have been published as ‘Stray Thoughts on South Africa’ soon afterwards. However, although prepared for book publication, a dispute with a US publisher and the events of the South African War prevented this. They and some other essays were posthumously published as Thoughts on South Africa. Schreiner’s story ‘in the nature of an allegory’ is Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland. The Unwin collection of letters includes two sets of terms for publication, one regarding the articles and the other Peter Halket, sent by Cronwright-Schreiner as follows:
'^Tentative
OS.^
T. Fisher Unwin Esq
Terms with regard to the publication of The articles on S. Africa.
^28th Sept. 96^
-----------
1. The articles are to be published exactly as sent Home, without the alteration or omission or one word, or even footnote.
2. That, after one month from the date of publication of the last article, I shall have the exclusive right of reprinting them in England or elsewhere in any form I please, I myself retaining full Copyright.
3. That I retain to myself the right of reprinting extracts from the articles in the Cape newspapers at any date after the copy of the Review has appeared in England in which the given article is contained.
4. I do not bind myself as to the date at which I shall send the succeeding articles, but shall try to supply them for publication in consecutive months.
5. The payment is to be three pounds stg per page.
6. The payment for each article is to be despatched to me not later than the date on which each article appears in England.
7. Your are carefully to secure to me for me the Copyright of each article in America, so that the articles may not be reprinted there is the reviews there in reviews or papers, and that I shall hold the exclusive Copyright in America to enable me to publish there in book form.
8. It must be clearly understood that I retain the future Copyright of these articles: all I am parting with to you is the right to allow them to appear in your review before they have appeared anywhere else; & that l you shall secure this full Copyright to me.
9. Each article shall appear in the first number of the Review afte published after the arrival of the article in England, provided such article arrives in England on or before the 20th of the preceding month Thus, if my article arrives in England on or before the 20th of November, it must be published in the December number of the Review. I shall, however, try to let you have them as early as possible in the month.
10. Immediately as receipt of each article, you are to cable to me the three words “Schreiner, Kimberley, [wordspace] ” and the name of the month in which the article is to appear.
^Olive Schreiner^'
The inserted ‘Tentative OS’ and date at the start of this first set of terms, and ‘Olive Schreiner’ at the end are in Schreiner’s own hand-writing. The second set of terms regarding Peter Halket are:
'^Tentative
OS.
^
T. Fisher Unwin
Terms with regard to the publication of “Trooper Peter Halket”
^28th Sept. 96^
-----------
1. The price paid shall be £3.0.0 (three pounds sterling) per page of “Cosmopolis”.
2. The writer, Olive Schreiner, retains the Copyright and the right of reprinting in England in book form at the expiration of six weeks after its appearance in “Cosmopolis”.
3. She retains the right of publishing either extracts or the whole story in South African papers and periodicals, at any date after its appearance in “Cosmopolis”.
4. She retains the American Copyright (which Mr. Unwin shall secure for her in America as part Condition of his publishing the story in “Cosmopolis”)
5. She retains all rights of translation, which must be stated when the article appears in “Cosmopolis”, as she fears translations may be made who without her consent.
6. The money for this story must be posted from England not later than the date on which the story appears in “Cosmopolis”.
^Olive Schreiner^'
The inserted ‘Tentative OS’ and date at the start of this second set of terms and the insertion of ‘Olive Schreiner’ at the end are in Schreiner’s own hand-writing.