Oscar Wilde's lost books discovered in "miracle" moment for LGBTQ+ history

A librarian at University College London (UCL) has discovered three books previously owned by Oscar Wilde, offering an invaluable insight into LGBTQ+ history at the turn of the 20th century.

The Irish writer had a collection of over 2,000 works, which he was forced to sell to pay off legal debts he incurred in 1895. It was then that he received two years’ hard labour, the maximum sentence for so-called ‘gross indecency’, referring to homosexual activity which was illegal at the time. 

Only around 40 of the books previously owned by Oscar Wilde have since been identified, with the rest yet to be found. However, thanks to Sarah Pipkin, Outreach and Exhibitions Co-Ordinator at UCL Special Collections, three more titles can be added to the list. The librarian noticed a handwritten note on all of the books, which confirmed that the previous buyer had acquired them at the Wilde auction.

“Wilde did not use a personalised bookplate or write his name in all his books and it is the lack of annotations which makes rebuilding his library very difficult,” Pipkin said.

“The fact we have been able to identify these books at all is a miracle really. They are a slice of LGBTQ+ history.”

The uncovered books include The Golden Lotus and Other Legends of Japan by Edward Greey, an 1882 translation of Mullana Abdulrahman Jami’s The Book of Joseph and Zuleikhaa, and a copy of Wilde’s own play Salome which contains illustrations heavily influenced by Japanese art.

Not only does the discovery offer insights into the author’s Asian influences, but it also contains a rare piece of information on his personal life. UCL’s copy of The Golden Lotus and Other Legends of Japan reveals that Wilde and its author had a personal relationship, with Greey gifting it to the Irishman alongside a personalised inscription.

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