Olive Schreiner.

Olive Schreiner (24 March 1855 – 11 December 1920) was a South African author, and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel ' The Story Of an African Farm' which has been highly acclaimed for the bold manner in which it deals with some of the burning issues of the day, including agnosticism, existential independence, individualism, the professional aspirations of women, and the elemental nature of life on the colonial frontier. In more recent studies she has also been identified as an advocate for those sidelined by the forces of British Imperialism, such as the Afrikaners, and later other South African groups like Blacks, Jews and Indians – to name but a few. Although she showed interest in socialism, pacifism, vegetarianism and feminism amongst other things, her true views escape restrictive categorizations. Her published works and other surviving writings promote implicit values like moderation, friendship and understanding amongst all peoples. Although she may be called a lifelong freethinker, she continued to adhere to the spirit of the Christian Bible and developed a secular version of the worldview of her missionary parents, with mystical elements.
Karel Schoeman, the South African historian and leading authority on Schreiner's life, has written that she was an outstanding figure in a South African context, albeit perhaps not quite the same abroad.

     Olive Emilie Albertina Schreiner is her full name. She was the ninth of twelve children born in the missionary society at Wittebergen in the Eastern Cape, near Herschel in South Africa. Her parents are Gottlob Schreiner and Rebecca Lyndall^. She was named after her three older brothers, Oliver (1848–1854), Albert (1843–1843) and Emile (1852–1852), who died before she was born. Her childhood was a harsh one as her father was loving and gentle, though impractical, which led to difficulties for the family; but her mother Rebecca was intent on teaching her children the same restraint and self-discipline that had been a part of her upbringing. Olive received virtually all of her initial education from her mother, who was well-read and gifted.

 Noted works:

• The story of n African Farm, 1883 (as "Ralph Iron")
• Dreams, 1890
• Dream Life and Real Life, 1893
• The Political Situation in Cape Colony, 1895 (with S. C. Cronwright-Schreiner)
• Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland, 1897
• An English South African Woman's View of the Situation, a critique on the Transvaal difficulty from the pro-Boer position, 1899
• A Letter on the Jew, 1906
• Closer Union: a Letter on South African Union and the Principles of Government, 1909
• Woman and Labour, 1911
• Thoughts on South Africa, 1923
• Stories, Dreams and Allegories, 1923
• From Man to Man, 1926
• Undine, 1929