Oscar Wilde was a true revolutionary – not only for his writing, but for paving the way for gay rights through his own public, and very tragic, story.
In 1895, just a few months after the debut theatre performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labour for “gross indecency”, the maximum sentence at the time.
Prior to being incarcerated, Wilde reigned supreme in the literary sphere, but throughout his life he harboured a heavy secret – he was gay – and due to an unaccepting society, which criminalised homosexuality, he was forced to hide his identity.
16 October marked the beloved poet’s birthday. He died in November 1900 after contracting meningitis, dying in exile at the age of 46. But his legacy lives on with creatives from all walks of life continuing to be inspired by his works.