Oscar Wilde’s library card reissued by the British Library 130 years after it was revoked
The late Irish writer Oscar Wilde is set to have his reader card reissued by the British Library, 130 years after the original was canceled due to his conviction for “gross indecency”.
The British Library removed the famous novelist from its reading room in 1895 after he was accused of homosexual relations, a criminal offense at the time.
The physical pass will be handed over to Wilde’s only grandchild, Merlin Holland, on Thursday at a special event at the Library to celebrate the launch of his book “The Library.” after the oscar examines the author’s legacy after his death.
Mr Holland said: “Oscar had been in Pentonville prison for three weeks when his ticket to the British Museum Reading Room was cancelled, so he would not have known about it, which it probably did.
“I think it would have added to his misery that one of the world’s greatest libraries had banned him from books, just as the Law had banned him from daily life. But the return of his ticket is a very nice gesture of forgiveness and I’m sure his soul will be moved and delighted.”
Following Wilde’s trial and conviction, the library decided to revoke Wilde’s Reader’s Pass as a result of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 1885, which criminalized acts of “gross indecency” between men.
After the trial, Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labor and was released from prison in 1897. The events of 1895 had such a profound impact on his life and career that he moved to France and remained there until his death.
The British Library holds a collection of Wilde’s works, including Oscar Wilde’s handwritten love letter from Reading Gaol to Lord Alfred Douglas. De Profundis.
Dame Carol Black, Chief Executive of the British Library, said: “Oscar Wilde was one of the most important literary figures of the nineteenth century, and the British Library holds among them handwritten manuscripts of his most famous plays. The Importance of Being Ernest, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance And Lady Windermere’s Fan.
“With this tribute, we hope to not only honor Wilde’s memory, but also commemorate the injustices and great suffering he faced as a result of his conviction. We are also delighted that his grandson, Merlin, received the Reader’s Pass on behalf of Oscar.”
