Oscar Wilde
The British Library is symbolically reinstating Oscar Wilde’s Reader Pass 130 years after it was revoked following his conviction for “gross indecency” (a term used to criminalize homosexual acts at the time).
Wilde’s only grandson, Merlin Holland, is formally collecting the reissued pass at a special event, taking place today.
Some background:
In June 1895, the trustees of what was then the British Museum’s Reading Room (the predecessor to the British Library) officially excluded the prominent Irish writer, poet, and playwright Oscar Wilde.
This decision came after Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor for “gross indecency” due to his homosexual relationships, which were illegal under the Criminal Law Amendment Act of 1885.
At the time his pass was revoked, Wilde had been imprisoned for approximately three weeks. His grandson, Merlin Holland, noted that Wilde would not have known about the revocation, which was likely for the best as it would have added to his misery.
The reinstatement is a symbolic gesture meant to acknowledge the historical injustice and immense suffering Wilde faced as a result of his conviction.
Holland described the restitution of the ticket as a “lovely gesture of forgiveness”and expressed confidence that his grandfather’s spirit would be “touched and delighted.”
The ceremony where Merlin Holland receives the pass is part of a larger British Library event that also celebrates the launch of his new book: After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal.
This biography examines the posthumous life and rehabilitation of the 19th-century literary figure, whose glittering career was tragically cut short by his conviction.
