On October 16th, Oscar Wilde was born 170 years ago; reason for Mayflower Bookshop to organize a festival on November 10th about this fascinating 19th poet and playwright!
Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
The Festival starts off with an interview with Oscar Wilde himself, followed by lectures on his essays (Wim Tigges), his poetry (Leo van Zanen), Wilde’s downfall under British law at that time (Tony Foster) and his impact on the gay community and relationship with ‘Bosie’ (Looi van Kessel). To illustrate Wilde’s work, a scene form ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is performed by the Mayflower Theatre Company and the musical band Art For Art’s Sake provides surprising links with Oscar Wilde.