Quotes & anectdotes from the wise, the foolish, the courageous & the drunk

Olive Schreiner Activist

  • Gender: Female
  • Citizenship: South Africa
  • Born: Mar 24, 1855
  • Died: Dec 11, 1920

Olive Schreiner was a South African author, anti-war campaigner and intellectual. She is best remembered today for her novel The Story of an African Farm which has been highly acclaimed ever since its first publication in 1883 for the bold manner in which it dealt with some of the burning issues of the day, including agnosticism, existential independence, individualism and the professional aspirations of women; as well as its portrayal of the elemental nature of life on the colonial frontier. In more recent studies she has also been foregrounded as an apologist 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 categorisations. Her published works and other surviving writings promote implicit values like moderation, friendship and understanding amongst all peoples and avoiding the pitfalls of political radicalism which she consciously eschewed.

Our fathers had their dreams we have ours the generation that follows will have its own. Without dreams and phantoms man cannot exist. dreams & Father's Day

No good work is ever done while the heart is hot and anxious and fretted. fear

St. Patrick's Day March 17, 2025

There is no language like the Irish for soothing and quieting. 3 other quotes from John Millington Synge

3 other quotes from John Millington Synge

Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy. 28 more sayings from William Butler Yeats

28 more sayings from William Butler Yeats

Geographically, Ireland is a medium-sized rural island that is slowly but steadily being consumed by sheep. 27 quotes from Dave Barry

27 quotes from Dave Barry

We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English. 74 thoughts from Winston Churchill

74 thoughts from Winston Churchill