Oscar Wilde

Born in Dublin in 1854, Oscar Wilde studied at Trinity College Dublin and later at Oxford, where he became closely associated with the aesthetic movement and first drew attention for his brilliant conversation and flamboyant public style. He built an international reputation as a lecturer, critic, poet, and storyteller before becoming one of the most celebrated playwrights of the 1890s.

Wilde wrote only one novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, but it became one of the lasting classics of English literature. He is also remembered for plays such as Lady Windermere's Fan, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest, works loved for their sharp humor, polished dialogue, and sly attacks on hypocrisy.

In 1895, at the height of his fame, Wilde was convicted of "gross indecency" and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. After his release he lived in France, where he died in Paris in 1900. His writing remains widely read not only for its epigrams and charm, but for the sadness, courage, and intelligence beneath the surface.