Born in 1854, Wilde was an Irish poet, playwright and novelist. His most notable works include The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest, both of which live on as two of the most adapted works of modern times. Near the end of his life, Wilde was prosecuted for ‘gross indecency’ and sodomy, under homophobic legislation.
Under cross-examination, Wilde said of his relationship with his lover: ‘It is in this century misunderstood, so much misunderstood that it may be described as “the love that dare not speak its name”… It is beautiful, it is fine, it is the noblest form of affection.’
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