How Oscar Wilde was reclaimed by his grandson
Jan 22, 2026•54 min
Episode description
It’s 125 years since the death of Oscar Wilde. The famous playwright and author died alone in a French hotel in 1900. Since that time, so much has been written about his wit, prose and character. Some of it fact, some of it rumour, much of it, speculation. In his new book called After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal, Oscar Wilde’s grandson, Merlin Holland, sets the record straight. The book is thirty years in the making and is an exploration of Wilde’s posthumous reputation and how his imprisonment for homosexuality affected Wilde's family, friends and literary legacy.
Guest: Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson and author, Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal,
Producer: Ali Benton
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