Sarah Millin
Encyclopedia
Sarah Gertrude Millin, née Liebson (March 19, 1889 – July 6, 1968) was a Kimberley, South African-born writer. In her lifetime, she was one of the most popular English-language novelists in South Africa. She also wrote biographies of Cecil Rhodes and General Jan Smuts
.
Her husband, Philip Millin, a judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa
, died of heart failure on the bench while she had just begun to write her autobiography The Measure of My Days, an event which affected her deeply (Margaret Lane, reviewing the autobiography in the Sunday Times).
The Jordans was first published in the UK by W. Collins Sons & Co., Ltd. in 1923; it was not published in the US. Constable & Co. Ltd. reprinted The Jordans in 1928 under its Constable's Miscellany series.
God's Stepchildren was published in 1924 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK and by Boni & Liveright
in the US. It proved to be Millin's greatest success. Particularly, the US release enjoyed numerous printings, and Grosset & Dunlap
also reprinted God's Stepchildren.
The Coming of the Lord was published in 1928 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK, by Macmillan
in Canada, and by Horace Liveright
in the US. It was reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap.
An Artist in the Family was also published in 1928. Constable & Co. Ltd. served the UK market, Macmillan the Canadian market, and Boni & Liveright the US market.
The Fiddler was published in 1929 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK and by Horace Liveright in the US.
The Sons of Mrs Aab was published in 1931 in the UK by Chatto & Windus and in the US by Boni & Liveright.
Three Men Die was published in 1934 in the UK and the US by Chatto & Windus and Harper & Brothers
, respectively.
What Hath a Man? was published in 1938 in the UK and the US by Chatto & Windus and Harper & Brothers, respectively.
The Herr Witchdoctor was published in the UK by William Heinemann
in 1941. In 1941 in the US it was published under the title The Dark Gods by Harper & Brothers. This novel of Nazis in South Africa is largely forgotten, but remains an excellent reference for students of South African history.
The King of the Bastards is a novel of a small colored community in the Northern Transvaal, descendants of Coenraad Buys and his harem of native women. With a foreword by Jan Smuts
, it was published in 1949 in the US by Harper & Brothers, and in 1950 in the UK by William Heinemann.
The Burning Man, a sister novel running in parallel in time to The King of the Bastards, is the story of Johannes van der Kemp
, military officer, doctor, and philosopher, who eventually became a missionary in South Africa. In 1952 William Heinemann published the novel in the UK while G.P. Putnam's Sons published it in the US.
Two Bucks Without Hair & Other Stories was published in 1957 in the UK by Faber & Faber, in South Africa
by Central News Agency
, and in Rhodesia
by Kingston's.
The Wizard Bird was published in 1962 in the UK by William Heinemann, in South Africa by Central News Agency, and in Rhodesia by Kingston's.
Goodbye, Dear England was Millin's last novel. It was published in 1965 in the UK by William Heinemann.
Men on a Voyage differs from anything else Millin ever produced. It consists of thoughts and essays on various subjects. Men on a Voyage was only released in the UK and the Commonwealth
, and was published in 1930 by Constable & Co. Ltd.
Her biography of Cecil Rhodes is still considered to be an authoritative source of information on the Diamond Magnate's life. Chatto & Windus published Rhodes in 1933, and then a revised edition in 1952. Harper & Brothers released the work in the US in 1933 under the title Cecil Rhodes. Millin is credited as one of the contributors to the screenplay for the film Rhodes of Africa, which was released in 1936 and starred Walter Huston
. To coincide with the release of Rhodes of Africa, Grosset & Dunlap reprinted this biography in the US under the title Cecil Rhodes, Empire Builder.
General Smuts is Millin's second biography. In 1936 it was published in two volumes. Faber & Faber served the UK market while Little, Brown and Company
served the American market.
Millin contributed the chapter on South Africa contained in The British Commonwealth & Empire (nonfiction, W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., 1943)
The People of South Africa is an expansion of The South Africans of 1926. Constable & Co. Ltd published it in 1951 in the UK and Alfred A Knopf published it in America in 1954.
Millin acted as Editor of White Africans Are Also People, published in 1966 in South Africa by Howard Timmons, and in the UK by Bailey Swinfen.
, was published in 1941 in the UK by Faber & Faber.
During World War II
Millin wrote a six-volume diary published in the UK by Faber & Faber as World Blackout (1944); The Reeling Earth (1945); The Pit of the Abyss (1946); The Sound of the Trumpet (1947); Fire Out of Heaven (1947); and The Seven Thunders (1948).
The Measure of My Days is Millin's second autobiography, published in 1955 by Faber & Faber in the UK, Central News Agency in South Africa, and Kingston's in Rhodesia.
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
.
Her husband, Philip Millin, a judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa
Supreme Court of South Africa
The Supreme Court of South Africa was a superior court of law in South Africa from 1910 to 1996. It was made up of various provincial and local divisions with jurisdiction over specific geographical areas, and an Appellate Division which was the highest appellate court in the country...
, died of heart failure on the bench while she had just begun to write her autobiography The Measure of My Days, an event which affected her deeply (Margaret Lane, reviewing the autobiography in the Sunday Times).
Fiction
- The Dark River was first published in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(UK) by William Collins (publisher)William Collins (publisher)William Collins was a Scottish schoolmaster and publisher.Collins was born near Glasgow in 1789. In 1819 he set up a publishing business, initially selling religious books. He produced the first Collins dictionary in 1824, when he also obtained a licence to publish the Bible...
Sons & Co., Ltd. in 1919, and in the US by Thomas SeltzerThomas SeltzerThomas Seltzer may refer to:* Thomas Seltzer , translator and editor of Russian stories* Happy-Tom, bassist and main songwriter in the band Turbonegro...
in 1920. Archibald ConstableArchibald ConstableArchibald Constable was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer.He was born at Carnbee, Fife, as the son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie. In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to Peter Hill, an Edinburgh bookseller, but in 1795 he started in business for himself as a dealer in rare...
& Co. Ltd. reprinted The Dark River in 1928 under its Constable's Miscellany series. - Middle Class was first published in the UK by W. Collins Sons & Co., Ltd. in 1921. It was not published in the US. Constable & Co. Ltd. reprinted Middle Class in 1928 under its Constable's Miscellany series.
- Adam's Rest was first published in the UK by W. Collins Sons & Co., Ltd. in 1922 and in the US by Horace Liveright in 1930. Constable & Co. Ltd. reprinted Adam's Rest in 1928 under its Constable's Miscellany series.
The Jordans was first published in the UK by W. Collins Sons & Co., Ltd. in 1923; it was not published in the US. Constable & Co. Ltd. reprinted The Jordans in 1928 under its Constable's Miscellany series.
God's Stepchildren was published in 1924 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK and by Boni & Liveright
Boni & Liveright
Boni & Liveright was a publishing house established in 1916 in New York City by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright which made a name by publishing work considered avant-garde and in so doing published work by many modernist authors. They attracted attention from the Society for Suppression of Vice...
in the US. It proved to be Millin's greatest success. Particularly, the US release enjoyed numerous printings, and Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
also reprinted God's Stepchildren.
- Mary Glenn was published in 1925 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK and by Boni & Liveright in the US. Grosset & Dunlap reprinted it, and Mary Glenn was also adapted as a play, being first produced retitled "No Longer Mourn" in London, England, at the Gate Theatre, in 1935.
The Coming of the Lord was published in 1928 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK, by Macmillan
Macmillan Publishers
Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
in Canada, and by Horace Liveright
Horace Liveright
Horace Brisbin Liveright was an American publisher and stage producer. With Albert Boni, he founded the Modern Library and Boni & Liveright publishers. He published books from numerous influential American and British authors...
in the US. It was reprinted by Grosset & Dunlap.
An Artist in the Family was also published in 1928. Constable & Co. Ltd. served the UK market, Macmillan the Canadian market, and Boni & Liveright the US market.
The Fiddler was published in 1929 by Constable & Co. Ltd. in the UK and by Horace Liveright in the US.
The Sons of Mrs Aab was published in 1931 in the UK by Chatto & Windus and in the US by Boni & Liveright.
Three Men Die was published in 1934 in the UK and the US by Chatto & Windus and Harper & Brothers
Harper & Brothers
Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins.-History:James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishing business J. & J. Harper in 1817. Their two brothers, Joseph Wesley Harper and Fletcher Harper, joined them...
, respectively.
What Hath a Man? was published in 1938 in the UK and the US by Chatto & Windus and Harper & Brothers, respectively.
The Herr Witchdoctor was published in the UK by William Heinemann
William Heinemann
William Heinemann was the founder of the Heinemann publishing house in London.He was born in 1863, in Surbiton, Surrey. In his early life he wanted to be a musician, either as a performer or a composer, but, realising that he lacked the ability to be successful in that field, he took a job with...
in 1941. In 1941 in the US it was published under the title The Dark Gods by Harper & Brothers. This novel of Nazis in South Africa is largely forgotten, but remains an excellent reference for students of South African history.
The King of the Bastards is a novel of a small colored community in the Northern Transvaal, descendants of Coenraad Buys and his harem of native women. With a foreword by Jan Smuts
Jan Smuts
Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, ED, KC, FRS, PC was a prominent South African and British Commonwealth statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various cabinet posts, he served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948...
, it was published in 1949 in the US by Harper & Brothers, and in 1950 in the UK by William Heinemann.
The Burning Man, a sister novel running in parallel in time to The King of the Bastards, is the story of Johannes van der Kemp
Johannes van der Kemp
Dr Johannes Theodorus van der Kemp was a military officer, doctor and philosopher who became a missionary in South Africa.-Early life:...
, military officer, doctor, and philosopher, who eventually became a missionary in South Africa. In 1952 William Heinemann published the novel in the UK while G.P. Putnam's Sons published it in the US.
Two Bucks Without Hair & Other Stories was published in 1957 in the UK by Faber & Faber, in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
by Central News Agency
Central News Agency
Central News Agency may refer to:*Korean Central News Agency, the state news agency of North Korea*Central News Agency , a news agency active in Victorian London...
, and in Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
by Kingston's.
The Wizard Bird was published in 1962 in the UK by William Heinemann, in South Africa by Central News Agency, and in Rhodesia by Kingston's.
Goodbye, Dear England was Millin's last novel. It was published in 1965 in the UK by William Heinemann.
Non-fiction
The South Africans was Millin's first foray into non-fiction. It was published in the UK in 1926 by Constable & Co. Ltd, and in the US in 1927 by Boni & Liveright.Men on a Voyage differs from anything else Millin ever produced. It consists of thoughts and essays on various subjects. Men on a Voyage was only released in the UK and the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
, and was published in 1930 by Constable & Co. Ltd.
Her biography of Cecil Rhodes is still considered to be an authoritative source of information on the Diamond Magnate's life. Chatto & Windus published Rhodes in 1933, and then a revised edition in 1952. Harper & Brothers released the work in the US in 1933 under the title Cecil Rhodes. Millin is credited as one of the contributors to the screenplay for the film Rhodes of Africa, which was released in 1936 and starred Walter Huston
Walter Huston
Walter Thomas Huston was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston.-Life and career:...
. To coincide with the release of Rhodes of Africa, Grosset & Dunlap reprinted this biography in the US under the title Cecil Rhodes, Empire Builder.
General Smuts is Millin's second biography. In 1936 it was published in two volumes. Faber & Faber served the UK market while Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
served the American market.
Millin contributed the chapter on South Africa contained in The British Commonwealth & Empire (nonfiction, W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., 1943)
The People of South Africa is an expansion of The South Africans of 1926. Constable & Co. Ltd published it in 1951 in the UK and Alfred A Knopf published it in America in 1954.
Millin acted as Editor of White Africans Are Also People, published in 1966 in South Africa by Howard Timmons, and in the UK by Bailey Swinfen.
Autobiography
The Night is Long, Millin's first autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, was published in 1941 in the UK by Faber & Faber.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Millin wrote a six-volume diary published in the UK by Faber & Faber as World Blackout (1944); The Reeling Earth (1945); The Pit of the Abyss (1946); The Sound of the Trumpet (1947); Fire Out of Heaven (1947); and The Seven Thunders (1948).
The Measure of My Days is Millin's second autobiography, published in 1955 by Faber & Faber in the UK, Central News Agency in South Africa, and Kingston's in Rhodesia.