Olive Schreiner: Writing Networks and Global Contexts

This collection of essays explores Olive Schreiner's writing, networks, and legacies in new global, historical, and contemporary contexts, examining her radical thought and its impact on civil rights movements, global feminisms, and global literary modernisms. It reveals surprising connections and affinities between Schreiner's work and other global literary and historical figures, highlighting the anticipatory and galvanizing roles of political and artistic forces from Southern Africa. The essays advocate for a new Schreiner Studies that draws on scholarship in global and peripheral modernisms, activist networks, intersectionality, posthumanism, memory studies, and intermediality to understand her work's significance for understanding literary and social archives, race and gender performance, and the rise of literary modernism in the global Anglosphere.

Format: Hardback
Length: 322 pages
Publication date: 31 December 2023
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

Introduction:
Olive Schreiner, a pioneering figure in South African literature and activism, has left an indelible mark on global history and contemporary culture. This collection of essays explores the multifaceted aspects of Schreiner's writing, networks, and legacies in new global, historical, and contemporary contexts. It examines aspects of Schreiner's radical thought, including her feminism, anti-colonialism, anti-racism, pacifism, environmentalism, and ambivalent anarchism, as well as their impacts on civil rights movements, global feminisms, and global literary modernisms.

Revealing Connections and Influences:
The essays in this collection delve into revealing and sometimes unexpected connections, affinities, and lines of influence that link Schreiner's work with its widespread influence and afterlife. It discusses Schreiner's work in relation to major global literary and historical figures, such as W.E.B. DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., Charles Freer Andrews, J.M. Coetzee, Virginia Woolf, Bessie Head, and Patrick White, amongst others. Chapters are driven by a shared impetus to uncover and analyze the anticipatory and galvanizing roles of political and artistic forces that emerge from Southern Africa through case studies on Schreiner.

Schreiner's Radical Thought:
The collection explores the depth and breadth of Schreiner's radical thought, which encompassed a wide range of issues related to gender, race, colonialism, and social justice. It examines her feminism, which challenged traditional gender roles and advocated for women's rights and autonomy. Schreiner's anti-colonialism and anti-racism were also central to her work, as she critiqued the exploitation and oppression of marginalized communities and called for a more equitable and inclusive world.

Impacts on Civil Rights Movements:
Schreiner's activism and writing played a significant role in shaping civil rights. Her novel, The Story of an African Farm, which depicted the struggles of a black family on a South African farm, inspired many activists and scholars to fight against apartheid and racial discrimination. Schreiner's advocacy for pacifism and environmentalism also influenced the global peace movement, as she emphasized the interconnectedness of social and environmental issues and the need for sustainable practices.

Global Feminisms and Literary Modernisms:
Schreiner's work contributed to the development of global feminisms and global literary modernisms. Her novels and essays explored the experiences of women from different cultures and backgrounds, challenging traditional notions of femininity and gender roles. Schreiner's ambivalent anarchism, which combined elements of socialism, feminism, and individualism, also influenced the development of left-wing political ideologies and artistic movements.

Schreiner's Legacy:
The collection concludes by examining the enduring legacy of Schreiner's work and its continued relevance to our own time. It highlights the ways in which her writing and activism continue to inspire and challenge readers and scholars across the world. It calls for a renewed engagement with Schreiner's work, both as a means of understanding the past and as a catalyst for shaping a more just and equitable future.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this collection of essays offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of Olive Schreiner's writing, networks, and legacies. It demonstrates the significance of Schreiner's work in shaping global feminist, anti-colonial, and anti-racist movements, as well as in contributing to global literary modernisms. By uncovering and analyzing the anticipatory and galvanizing roles of political and artistic forces that emerge from Southern Africa, the collection contributes to a new understanding of Schreiner's place in global history and contemporary culture.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399512534
Edition number: 130,125 ed.