IMAGINARY CONVERSATIONS

An association copy, linking two of the most influential intellectual figures of the late 19th century: South African author Olive Schreiner and the pioneering publisher and sexologist Havelock Ellis, who were engaged in an extra marital affair of long standing. This volume, published during Schreiner’s peak years in England, contains her personal signature, a rare geographical inscription from Harrow-on-the-Hill, and extensive pencil marginalia that offers a direct window into her reading habits and her response to Ellis’s early editorial work. The title page bears the signature "Olive Schreiner 1886." A further inscription on the flyleaf reads: "Liked very much, the Convent Harrow-on-the-Hill June 1886." This was a transformative year for Schreiner, during which she was deeply embedded in the London socialist and literary avant-garde.

published during Schreiner’s peak years in England, contains her personal signature, a rare geographical inscription from Harrow-on-the-Hill, and extensive pencil marginalia that offers a direct window into her reading habits and her response to Ellis’s early editorial work. The title page bears the signature "Olive Schreiner 1886." A further inscription on the flyleaf reads: "Liked very much, the Convent Harrow-on-the-Hill June 1886." This was a transformative year for Schreiner, during which she was deeply embedded in the London socialist and literary avant-garde.
​Binding: Original navy-blue cloth with cream paper spine label.

​Condition: Very good. The binding remains firm with shelfwear and bumping to the corners. The paper spine label is chipped with some loss to the "Camelot Classics" header, though the title and date remain legible. Some age-toning and minor foxing to the endpapers and title page. The pencil annotations remain sharp and legible. Deckle-edged pages. 

Ellis and Schreiner shared one of the most documented and profound intellectual romances of the Victorian era. This edition features a long introductory note by Ellis. Finding a book from Schreiner’s personal library that features Ellis's work—and seeing her active engagement with it—is a rare "double-association" of immense value to collectors of both figures.While standard copies of the Camelot Classics are common, association copies of this calibre are scarce.  

Walter Savage Landor (1775 – 1864) was an English writer, poet, and activist. His best known works were the prose Imaginary Conversations, and the poem "Rose Aylmer," but the critical acclaim he received from contemporary poets and reviewers was not matched by public popularity. (Source: Wikipedia)

Marginalia & annotations: The book is well read with marginalia. Notable pencil markings include bracketing of passages concerning William Penn and the duty of government to provide a "means of living both honestly and at ease" themes that resonated with Schreiner’s own lifelong activism.
​Literary Criticism: Multiple brackets within Ellis's introduction, highlighting passages where he discusses Landor’s "absolute vision" and "elephantine" humour.
​Imagery: Specific brackets around Landor’s sharpest prose (e.g., the "white ferrets" metaphor on page 29), showing Schreiner’s keen eye for descriptive language.

Introduction by: Havelock Ellis
Publisher: Walter Scott, 24 Warwick Lane,
London (The Camelot Classics) 1886
Provenance: Signed and dated by Olive Schreiner, June 1886.