Merlin Holland: Busting the Myths of Oscar Wilde
Merlin Holland, Wilde’s grandson, busts myths about his grandfather in this talk for The Oscar Wilde Society.
James Cahill on His Wildean Influences
Dr. James Cahill presented a talk on The Artist as Critic: Wildean Resonances in Tiepolo Blue and The Violet Hour at the Oscar Wilde Society's annual Oxford luncheon…
Louis Bayard on ‘The Wildes’
Author Louis Bayard speaks about his new novel The Wildes, which explores the aftermath of Oscar Wilde's imprisonment.
Wilde Wit Winners in TLS
The Times Literary Supplement of 15 March 2025 included a note about the winners of the Wilde Wit competition.
Call for Papers: Oscar Wilde, French by Sympathy?
The Oscar Wilde Society invites abstracts for a special session at the 2026 MLA Convention in Toronto, Jan. 8-11 2026.
Discussion: The Importance of Being Earnest at the NT
Gyles Brandreth, Kate Hext and Darcy Sullivan discuss Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and the National Theatre's production.
Oscar Wilde and Ernest Dowson – a Talk by Jad Adams
In this video, Jad Adams explores the unlikely friendship between Oscar Wilde and decadent poet Ernest Dowson.
Don Mead Awarded British Empire Medal
Donald Mead, Vice-President of the Oscar Wilde Society, has been awarded the honour of the British Empire Medal (BEM).
Watch the Australian Ballet’s Oscar
The remarkable world of a literary legend comes to the stage with The Australian Ballet’s Oscar©, a new full-length work from acclaimed choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. In a bold…
Wilde Statue Unveiled
A new sculpture of Oscar Wilde by Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi was unveiled in Chelsea, London, on 16 October. Watch the ceremony.
Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare’s Sonnets – Video
Geoff Dibb gives an excellent presentation on Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare's sonnets, and the mystery of Mr. W.H.
From Wilde’s Library to UCL
University College London has discovered at least two books in their library that previously belonged to Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Doll on Display
The Blake Gallery in Gravesend has a ‘Museum of Small Stories’ exhibit which features Oscar Wilde Society Chairman Vanessa Heron's note about this Oscar Wilde figure and the…
Enter the Wilde Wit Competition
The Oscar Wilde Society’s fifth annual Wilde Wit competition is open for entries! Submit your own witticisms by 30 September 2024.
New Book: The Woman’s World, Edited by Oscar Wilde
The Oscar Wilde Society is proud to announce its latest book: the Joan Winchell edition of Selected Articles from The Woman’s World, chosen, annotated and with an introduction by…
Wilde in New York Documentary
Quill Classics has posted a new full-length video documentary written and directed by Erik Ryding: Wilde in New York. The video features author John Cooper, shown above, who…
Gyles Brandreth Interviews Merlin Holland
Gyles Brandreth, honorary president of the Oscar Wilde Society, interviews Merlin Holland for his podcast Rosebud. Holland is Wilde's grandson and an honorary patron of the Oscar Wilde…
Darcy Sullivan Interview for Italian Wilde Society
The Oscar Wilde Society's press officer, Darcy Sullivan, was interviewed for the Italian Oscar Wilde Society by Pierpaolo Martino. Their newsletter also includes articles in English as well…
Celebrating Don Mead
Don Mead led The Oscar Wilde Society as its chairman for some 30 years. In this festschrift gathering, Society members and officials gathered to honour Don in the…
‘House Beautiful’ Launch Event at Tite Street
The latest edition of The Wildean, No. 64, has a focus on Oscar Wilde's 'House Beautiful,' and to celebrate the Oscar Wilde Society held a launch event at…
The Picture of Dorian Gray Review: A Funhouse Mirror of Wilde’s Soul
The Picture of Dorian Gray Directed by Kip Williams The Sydney Theatre Company Theatre Royal Haymarket doriangrayplay.com The reviewer attended during previews on 9 February 2024 It may…
Joining the Oscar Wilde Society
Have you ever considered joining the Oscar Wilde Society? For those interested in the Irish author, the society provides a wonderful opportunity to meet interesting people and discover…
What Yellow Book Did Oscar Wilde Carry?
When Oscar Wilde was arrested at the Cadogan Hotel in 1895, he was reported to be carrying  a copy of The Yellow Book . This notorious periodical, identified…
Merlin Holland Interview
An insightful interview with Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson and an hon. patron of the Oscar Wilde Society, has been published on The Shortlisted's website. In it, writer…
In the News: Lost Isola Plaque
The Sunday Telegraph of London carried a story about a portrait of Oscar Wilde’s younger sister Isola, who died age nine, which has been found after being lost…
Changes to Oscar Wilde Society Committee
The chairman of the Oscar Wilde Society, Don Mead, has notified the membership of changes to the committee. Here is his letter of 13 November 2023: Dear Fellow…
Wilde Now Discussion at Goldsmiths in London
Author Pierpaolo Martino (University of Bari, Italy) of the Italian Oscar Wilde Society will be discussing his new book of essays, Wilde Now: Performance, Celebrity and Intermediality in Oscar Wilde…
Dominic Dromgoole on Oscar Wilde
Acclaimed director and author Dominic Dromgoole discusses Oscar Wilde and theatre in this talk at the Oscar Wilde Society Annual Birthday Dinner in October 2023, in the National…
Dorian Gray in Babylon Berlin
At the Oscar Wilde Society AGM, Dr. Yvonne Ivory explored how Oscar Wilde became a cult figure in the German-speaking world after his death. He had his fans…
The Picture of Dorian Gray – One-Woman Performance Video
For those of us looking forward to seeing Sarah Snook in Kip Williams' production of The Picture of Dorian Gray, coming to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in January…
Writing Wilde – Oscar Wilde’s Biographers
Dr. Aaron Eames, editor of Oscariana for the Oscar Wilde Society, discusses some of Oscar Wilde's biographers through 1954 in this talk at the Society's 30th annual summer…
The Picture of Dorian Gray – Coming to The Haymarket in 2024
Society members who attended the Oscar Wilde West End Walk on 22 April will remember the beauty of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, where we drank champagne in the Oscar…
Call for Papers: MLA 2024 – Wilde on Tour
The Oscar Wilde Society invites abstracts for a special session at the 2024 MLA Convention in Philadelphia, PA. This panel will consider Oscar Wilde’s travels abroad from his…
CSC Podcast: Celebrating Oscar Wilde
This is a live recording of CSC's Classic Perspectives talkback celebrating the legacy of Oscar Wilde with playwright and director Moisés Kaufman and LGBTQ+ historian Andrew Lear. Listen…
Decadence on Sale
Decadence: A Literary Anthology is now on sale through PostScript Books, marked down from £20 to £7.99. It is on offer here. Wildeans will find much to enjoy…
Special Edition of ‘The Portrait of Mr. W.H.’
COVE, Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education, is publishing a new digital peer-reviewed edition of Wilde's extended edition of 'The Portrait of Mr W.H.'Â This edition will likely be…
Oscar Wilde: An Irishman in London
Honorary patraon Eleanor Fitzsimons gave an informative and entertaining talk about Oscar Wilde as an Irishman following our AGM in September. You can watch her talk on our…
Constance Wilde’s Autograph Book
The Oscar Wilde Society is publishing, for the first time, Constance Wilde's Autograph Book.
Vanessa Heron on the Oscar Wilde Society
Vanessa Heron, secretary of the Oscar Wilde Society, discusses the society's history and events in this interview on the Bookmarks and Stages blog. https://bookmarksandstages.home.blog/2022/07/08/interview-by-lou-with-the-secretary-of-the-oscar-wilde-society-about-the-society-oscar-wilde-and-a-new-book-vanessaheron-gylesb1-oscarwildeuk-stephenfry-oscarwilde-oscarwildesociety-playwrigh/
Matthew Sturgis on Thomas Langrel Harris
Readers of the July issue of The Wildean will have been fascinated by Patricia Fanning's article about the previously mysterious figure of Thomas Langrel Harris, about whom Oscar wrote so…
Prisoner C33 Television Drama
Prisoner C33, with Toby Stephens as Oscar Wilde and directed by Trevor Nunn, aired 1 May on BBC Four at 21:00. In 1895, in cell 3, floor 3,…
Annotated Bibliography of Wilde Manuscripts
Wolfgang Maier-Sigrist has just published an annotated bibliography of the manuscripts of Oscar Wilde, on the Internet. This free resource is the result of three years' work and…
A Visit to Michael Seeney’s Collection
Oscar Wilde member Michael Seeney has a very extensive collection of material relating to Oscar Wilde and his contemporaries. Michael has very kindly offered to welcome members of…
Oscariana No. 78 Mailed To Members
The latest edition of the Oscar Wilde Society’s newsletter, Oscariana, has been emailed to all members. Edited by Aaron Eames, the newsletter covers upcoming events, performances, Wilde news and…
A Visit to Tite Street
Committee members and honorary patrons of the Oscar Wilde Society visited Oscar Wilde's former home on Tite Street on 27 November 2021, as the guests of current occupant…
Enter the Wilde Wit Competition
The Oscar Wilde Society, in conjunction with The Oldie and The Chap, has launched our third Wilde Wit Competition. This is your chance to write your own Wilde witticism, which can be…
Neil Titley on Forty Years with Oscar
Neil Titley, actor, author and honorary patron of the Oscar Wilde Society, has performed a one-man show as Oscar Wilde for forty years. In this speech to the…
Oscar Wilde Birthday Toast from Gyles Brandreth
Gyles Brandreth — author, actor, broadcaster and former MP and Lord Commissioner of the Treasury — toasts Oscar Wilde at the start of the annual birthday dinner held…
Oscariana Mailed to Members
The latest edition of the Oscar Wilde Society's newsletter, Oscariana, has been emailed to all members. Edited by Aaron Eames, the newsletter covers upcoming events, performances, Wilde news…
Wilde-Holland Fellowship Available
UCLA is offering a 1–2 month fellowshipto a postdoctoral scholar, graduate student, or visiting scholar for research using materials from the Oscar Wilde collection at the William Andrews…
Der Zwerg – Full Video of Wilde-Based Opera
Based on The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde, Der Zwerg (The Dwarf) is perhaps Alexander Zemlinsky’s best-known and most powerful opera. This live performance was recorded…
The New Yorker: The Myth of Oscar Wilde’s Martyrdom
This article in the New Yorker online discusses the many poses and identities of Oscar Wilde, and compares biographies by Richard Ellmann and Matthew Sturgis. The illustration is…
Gyles Brandreth at Cheltenham Literature Festival
The Oscar Wilde Society’s honorary President, Gyles Brandreth, will discuss his new autobiography at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on 13 October. Gyles is always a funny and fascinating…
Gyles Brandreth’s New Autobiography
Odd Boy Out is the new autobiography from Gyles Brandreth Gyles Brandreth, honorary president of the Oscar Wilde Society, has written an autobiography, Odd…
A Chat with Don Mead (Video)
In this video, Don Mead, chairman of the Oscar Wilde Society, explores the history of the Society and its journal The Wildean. Don also discusses how he discovered Wilde,…
Getting Started with Oscar Wilde (Video)
In this short clip, Don Mead, chairman of the Oscar Wilde Society, gives good guidance on how to start exploring Oscar Wilde. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQR-6Ow6eY8&t=23s
Don Mead on Maggi Hambling’s Oscar Wilde
Don Mead, chairman of the Oscar Wilde Society, discusses Maggi Hambling's sculpture of Oscar Wilde in this new video, produced by Morley College.
Ian Battersby reads “Magdalen Walks”
Ian Battersby gave an excellent reading of Oscar Wilde's poem "Magdalen Walks" to kick off the annual society luncheon at Magdalen College. Watch the Video
Books for Sale in Aid of the Oscar Wilde Society
These books on Oscar Wilde and related topics were donated by members and are available for sale from the Oscar Wilde Society.
A New Version of ‘The Importance’ Streams in July
A new twist on Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is streaming in July. This performance, directed by Adam Kinneen and featuring students from Newcastle University Theatre…
Streaming Version of The Importance of Being Earnest
Castle Craig is streaming a fully staged digital production of The Importance of Being Earnest on Friday, April 23, at 8 pm Eastern (1 am BST, April 24).…
Banksy on Reading Gaol Wall!
On Monday 4th of March, Banksy has uploaded a video of him creating the work to his verified social media page on Instagram - seemingly signalling the Reading mural to be his own work. The new artwork depicts a prisoner escaping from the gaol using a rope of bed sheets tied to a typewriter - prompting many to link the image to famous inmate Oscar Wilde.Â
Lady Wilde feature on a stamp to mark International Women’s Day
In advance of International Women’s Day, An Post has issued a stamp celebrating the 19th century Irish nationalist & feminist writer, Jane, Lady Wilde (1821-1896).