Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African…

Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm expresses the South African writer's unconventional views of religion and marriage her semi-autobiographical novel.

First published in 1883 in London, under the pseudonym Ralph Iron, it quickly becomes a best seller, despite causing some controversy over its frank portrayal of freethought, feminism, transvestitism, premarital sex and pregnancy out of wedlock.

It is also the cause of one of her most significant and long-lasting friendships, as the renowned sexologist Havelock Ellis writes to her about her novel.

Their relationship soon develops beyond intellectual debate to a genuine source of support for Schreiner.